Johnson bows out as Truss takes over as UK’s Prime Minister

Akinwande Soji-Ojo

Liz Truss took over as British Prime Minister on Tuesday, facing one of the most daunting set of challenges for an incoming leader in post-war history led by soaring energy bills, a looming recession and industrial action.

Truss, the fourth Conservative Prime Minister in six years, flew to the royal family’s Scottish home to ask Queen Elizabeth to form a government. She replaces Boris Johnson who was forced out after three tumultuous years in power.

“Ms Truss accepted Her Majesty’s offer and kissed hands upon her appointment as Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury,” Buckingham Palace said.

The 47-year-old former Foreign Secretary will later address the country from Downing Street before appointing her government.

Truss inherits an economy in crisis, with inflation at double digits, the cost of energy soaring and the Bank of England warning of a lengthy recession by the end of this year. Already, workers across the economy have gone on strike.

Her plan to revive growth through tax cuts while also potentially providing around £100 billion for energy has rattled financial markets, prompting investors to dump the pound and government bonds in recent weeks.

She also enters the latest crisis to buffet Britain with a weaker political hand than many of her predecessors.

Having held a place in the cabinet of senior ministers for eight years, Truss defeated Rishi Sunak in a vote of Conservative Party members by a tighter margin than expected, after many of the party’s lawmakers initially backed her rival.

Johnson, who tried to cling on to power in July despite ministers resigning en masse over a series of scandals, told reporters and politicians that gathered in Downing Street early on Tuesday that the country must unite.

“This is it folks.What I say to my fellow Conservatives, it’s time for politics to be over, folks. It’s time for us all to get behind Liz Truss and her team and her programme,” he said.

After speaking outside the famous black door, Johnson left London for North East Scotland to tender his resignation to the 96-year-old Queen before Truss followed him into Balmoral Castle. 

After submitting his resignation letter, the ousted Prime Minister pointedly took aim at lawmakers in his Conservative Party for forcing his resignation and, almost to prove them wrong, went on to list what he sees as his successes during his time as the country’s leader.

He also offered a tantalising reference for classics scholars, when he compared himself to Cincinnatus, a Roman dictator who, despite his old age, left his small farm to take control of the Roman state to fight an invasion in 16 days.

Cincinnatus returned to his farm, but legend has it he was recalled a second time to fend off another crisis, prompting some to wonder whether Johnson, 58, would try to stage a comeback.

“Let me say that I am now like one of those booster rockets that has fulfilled its function and I will now be gently reentering the atmosphere and splashing down invisibly in some remote and obscure corner of the Pacific.

“Like Cincinnatus, I am returning to my plough,” Johnson said.

(Reuters)