OUTGOING Prime Minister Liz Truss insisted in her farewell speech that “brighter days lie ahead” as her tenure as Britain’s shortest-serving leader ended.
Truss, who had only been in office for 49 days, said she had helped millions of people with their energy bills and cited reversing the National Insurance increase as one of her main accomplishments.
She quoted Roman philosopher Seneca, saying, “It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare; it is because we do not dare that times are difficult,” insisting that the UK needed to be “bold.”
“From my time as Prime Minister, I’m more convinced than ever that we need to be bold and face the challenges we face,” she said.
“We simply cannot afford to be a low-growth country with a growing share of our national wealth going to the government and huge disparities between different parts of our country.”
She concluded her speech by wishing incoming Prime Minister Rishi Sunak “every success for the good of our country.”
Truss held her final cabinet meeting this morning before delivering her speech, and she is now on her way to Buckingham Palace for her final audience with King Charles.
Once this is done, Sunak – the UK’s third leader in seven weeks – will meet the King and will be invited to form a government before making a speech at around 11.35am.
Sunak will then name his cabinet later on Tuesday, with Jeremy Hunt expected to hang on to his position as Chancellor. It is understood he is likely to offer leadership rival Penny Mordaunt a place in the cabinet too.