From Liberal Activist to Conservative PM: Fun Facts About Britain's New Prime Minister Liz Truss
13:19 GMT 05.09.2022 (Updated: 15:20 GMT 28.05.2023)
© AFP 2023 / JOHN SIBLEY
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The two-month-long race for the Tory leadership and PM office ended on Monday, as former-Foreign Secretary Liz Truss was declared the winner, claiming victory over ex-Chancellor Rishi Sunak.
During the campaigning, Truss shared her political stance on multiple issues, including taxs, trade unions, Brexit, Northern Ireland, Scottish independence, relations with Russia and China - and many other topics.
But what do we actually know about the next head of the British government, putting political issues aside? Well, here are a couple of facts, showing what kind of person she is:
Mary Elizabeth Truss was born July 26, 1975, in England to the family of a nurse and maths professor
She grew up in a left-wing "non-conservative" family and chanted "Down with Maggie!" alongside her activist mother at demonstrations against the policies of Tory Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, whom she is now trying to emulate
As a student, Truss was the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party branch and even once gave a speech arguing for the overthrow of the monarchy
She started her career at oil and gas company Shell and then Cable & Wireless telecom
As a parliamentary candidate for the Conservative Party, Truss lost in the elections in 2001 and 2005
Tories almost excluded the politician from the list in 2009 for having an affair with a married member of parliament. Truss herself was also married at the time
Truss was elected to Parliament in 2010 and became the first woman to hold the posts of lord chancellor and minister of justice after six years
In 2019, she served as minister of international trade and minister of women's affairs
Baking croissants is one of her hobbies - Truss even said that she would have become a food critic if she hadn't opted for politics
The next PM also loves cheese, karaoke and 80s music
She is married to accountant Hugh O'Leary since 2000. They have two daughters - Frances and Liberty
Truss is to become the third female PM, after fellow conservatives Margaret Thatcher and Theresa May
