The United Kingdom (UK) will, for the third time in history, welcome a woman, Liz Truss, as the country’s prime minister.
How Liz Truss became the UK’s next prime minister
Truss triumphed ahead of ex-finance minister Rishi Sunak in a fierce political race that pit members of the governing Conservative Party against each other.
In the end, the former foreign minister was elected as the perfect candidate to clean up a disastrous mess left by her predecessor, Boris Johnson who, in July 2022, was forced out of 10 Downing Street by his own party mates.
Liz Truss occupies one of the most powerful political seats in the world, and the road to this plateau was long and winding, to say the least. The 47-year-old has served in various positions in the administration of three prime ministers, David Cameron, Theresa May and Johnson.
She has been a member of the Conservatives since 1996. In fact, Truss joined the political party at the age of 21, shortly after graduating from Merton College, one of the constituent institutions of Oxford University.
As a member of parliament since 2010, Truss has served in a number of positions, including:
- Under-Secretary of State for Childcare and Education (2012-2014);
- Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (2014);
- Secretary of State for Justice (2016);
- Lord Chancellor (the first female to occupy the position in UK history);
- Chief Secretary to the Treasury (2017);
- Secretary of State for International Trade (2019);
- Minister for Women and Equalities (2019); and
- Foreign Secretary (2021).
Four things to know about Liz Truss
One of the most important tasks that face Truss as the UK’s new prime minister is addressing the country’s impending recession triggered by record-high inflation, which, in July 2022, hit 10.1%.
Her colleagues, however, firmly believe Truss is the person with solutions to the UK’s cost-of-living crisis. Here are five things to know about Liz Truss.
Her parents are on both ends of the political spectrum
It is said that Truss’s parents, John Kenneth and Priscilla Mary Truss, are Liberals. While her mother agreed to campaign for her when she stood for election to Parliament as a Conservative, Kenneth refused.
It remains unclear what the nature of her relationship with her father is.
She is the UK’s third female prime minister in history
The first time a woman served as prime minister in the UK was in 1979 when Margeret Thatcher became leader of the Conservative Party. Theresa May followed 37 years later and spend one term in office.
Truss, when she is officially sworn in on Tuesday, will become the third woman in UK history to serve as prime minister.
Truss was, once upon a time, anti-Brexit
Before the UK’s official exit from the European Union, Truss, going against the Conservatives agenda, was against Brexit.
“I don’t want my daughters to grow up in a world where they need a visa or permit to work in Europe, or where they are hampered from growing a business because of extortionate call costs and barriers to trade. Every parent wants their children to grow up in a healthy environment with clean water, fresh air and thriving natural wonders. Being part of the EU helps protect these precious resources and spaces,” she said in support of her decision during the 2016 referendum.
A year later, Truss reversed her position and, in hindsight, supported the UK’s decision to leave the EU.
“I believed there would be massive economic problems but those haven’t come to pass and I’ve also seen the opportunities,” she said.
Truss cheated on her husband
The 47-year-old is the wife of Hugh O’Leary, a renowned British accountant. The couple has been married for 22 years and together, they raise two daughters. Their marriage survived a period of infidelity when Truss allegedly cheated on her husband with fellow MP Mark Field between 2004 and mid-2005.
Reactions to new UK prime minister
While Conservative supporters see Truss’ ascension to prime ministry as a refreshing restart, the other side of Britain’s political sphere views her election as another version of the same leadership that’s failed to bring change in the UK for decades.
Here are some of the reactions to Truss’s election as the UK’s next prime minister: