Explainer

What happens now Liz Truss has won the race to become prime minister?

Liz Truss makes her victory speech after being announced the winner of the competition. Credit: PA

Liz Truss has been named the new leader of the Conservative Party after beating rival Rishi Sunak in the race to succeed Boris Johnson.

Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the 1922 Committee of Conservative backbench MPs, made the formal announcement on Monday revealing Truss won 57% of the votes with 81,326, while the former chancellor secured 43% with 60,399.Truss had been the bookie's favourite to win the competition ever since the race was narrowed to the final two contenders.

Rumours have been flying around for days about who will fill her Cabinet and how she will tackle the cost of living crisis.

Truss and Sunak as they waited for the announcement. Credit: PA

She has promised to announce new policies to help tackle the energy crisis within a week of entering office, but she still has a few final steps to take before she is the prime minister.

Here's what's going to happen over the next few days.

September 5

There is no time to relax for the new prime minister and it is expected she will quickly begin naming her new cabinet.

She will have to wait until Tuesday until she is officially made prime minister but she can install new people in their posts on Monday.

September 6

On Tuesday Ms Truss and Mr Johnson will travel to Balmoral in Scotland so the Queen can officially appoint the new prime minister.

The journey to Balmoral is a break from tradition with the ceremony usually taking place at Buckingham Palace.

No reason was given as to why the Queen was unable to make the journey to London for the ceremony but she has suffered months of mobility issues and has missed several key events recently.

Mr Johnson made a farewell address outside No 10 before departing Downing Street for the last time.

In his address the out-going prime minister said: "The baton will be handed over in what has unexpectedly turned out to be a relay race… they changed the rules halfway through, but never mind that now.

"It's time for politics to be over folks, it's time for us all to get behind Liz Truss and her team and deliver for the people of this country," he said.

"Because that's what the people of this country want, that's what they need, and that's what they deserve."

Mr Johnson held his wife Carrie's hand and shook hands with officials as he left the street to energetic applause and got in the car to head off to Balmoral to meet the Queen.

Mr Johnson and Ms Truss are expected to fly to Aberdeen on separate planes – a journey that will likely take only a couple of hours.

He could formally tender his resignation at around 11am, in what has been described by allies as likely to be a “very sad” occasion for Mr Johnson.

Once he has left, the new Tory leader will be invited in for her private audience with the Queen. Ms Truss will be appointed Britain’s next prime minister and asked to form an administration – possibly by around midday.

Queen Elizabeth II will swear the new prime minister into their role, during a service known as 'kissing hands'. Credit: PA

Ms Truss is then expected to fly back to London and arrive at Downing Street to address the nation for the first time as PM at around 4pm.

She will also be greeted by the staff at No 10 before heading into the Cabinet Room to receive top-level secret security and intelligence briefings from civil servants

She will be handed the nuclear codes and write “letters of last resort” to commanders of submarines carrying Trident nuclear missiles with orders on what to do if the government has been wiped out in a nuclear attack.Ms Truss will also receive calls from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, US President Joe Biden and other world leaders wishing her well in the new job.September 7 and the rest of the week

The new Cabinet is due to meet on Wednesday morning before Ms Truss faces Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer during her first Prime Minister’s Questions at noon.

Cost of living is likely to be the main topic of questions with the Conservative Party receiving heavy criticism in recent weeks for not offering any new support as the crisis escalated.

It is possible the prime minister will reveal some of her plans to tackle the cost of living crisis as well her wider policy priorities on Wednesday but if not it is almost certain she will announce something before the end of the week.


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