Liz Truss Announces Her Candidacy for UK Prime Minister
21:24 GMT 10.07.2022 (Updated: 15:20 GMT 28.05.2023)
© AP Photo / Michael Sohn / British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss attends a working dinner of the North Atlantic Council
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MOSCOW (Sputnik) - UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has announced that she is joining the race to succeed Boris Johnson as British prime minister.
"I am putting myself forward because I can lead, deliver and make the tough decisions. I have a clear vision of where we need to be, and the experience and resolve to get us there," Truss said in a Sunday article for The Telegraph, adding "I will fight the election as a Conservative and govern as a Conservative."
She mentioned Russia, China and the economic crisis among the challenges that the United Kingdom currently faces.
"Under my leadership, I would start cutting taxes from day one to take immediate action to help people deal with the cost of living," Truss said, also mentioning that she would reverse the National Insurance increase.
The current foreign secretary said that if she were to become prime minister, she would get the United Kingdom "back on track towards becoming a high-growth and high-productivity powerhouse," based on "long-standing Conservative philosophy."
On Saturday, former British health and foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt, who lost to Boris Johnson in 2019, as well as Sajid Javid, another former health secretary, announced in separate interviews with The Telegraph that they were joining the race to succeed Johnson as UK prime minister.
Both Hunt, 55, and Javid, 52, said they would cut corporation tax from the current 25% to 15% if they were to become prime minister. Javid told The Telegraph that he would scrap the controversial National Insurance rise, introduced during his time as health secretary.
Also on Saturday, newly appointed UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Nadhim Zahawi announced his candidacy for the post of prime minister, as well as UK Secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapps. Shapps and Zahawi joined the list of candidates, which among others includes Rishi Sunak, who resigned as Chancellor of the Exchequer on July 5.
Outgoing UK Prime Minister and Tory leader Boris Johnson has been grappling with calls to resign after a series of scandals over violations of COVID-19 regulations throughout 2020 and 2021. The scandal with the appointment of Christopher Pincher led to a string of resignations and eventually forced Johnson to step down both as the prime minister and head of the UK's Conservative Party. He will remain in office until a new appointment is made.
Also on Saturday, newly appointed UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Nadhim Zahawi announced his candidacy for the post of prime minister, as well as UK Secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapps. Shapps and Zahawi joined the list of candidates, which among others includes Rishi Sunak, who resigned as Chancellor of the Exchequer on July 5.
Outgoing UK Prime Minister and Tory leader Boris Johnson has been grappling with calls to resign after a series of scandals over violations of COVID-19 regulations throughout 2020 and 2021. The scandal with the appointment of Christopher Pincher led to a string of resignations and eventually forced Johnson to step down both as the prime minister and head of the UK's Conservative Party. He will remain in office until a new appointment is made.
