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Liz Truss becomes UK’s new prime minister; Boris Johnson officially resigns

By Michelle Ewing and Theresa Seiger, Cox Media Group National Content Desk
By Michelle Ewing and Theresa Seiger, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

LONDON — Conservative Party leader Liz Truss officially became Britain’s new prime minister Tuesday after meeting with Queen Elizabeth II at the monarch’s Balmoral estate in Scotland.

Here are the latest updates:

Update 12:30 p.m. EDT Sept. 6: In her first address as prime minister, Truss said she plans to “transform Britain into an aspiration nation” during her time as head of the British government. She laid out her three early priorities.

“Firstly, I will get Britain working again,” she said, adding that she’s built “a bold plan to grow the economy through tax cuts and reform.”

Truss said she also plans to deal with the energy crisis caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which has threatened blackouts and fears of a recession across Europe, according to The Associated Press.

“I will take action this week to deal with energy bills and to secure our future energy supply,” she said.

“Thirdly, I will make sure that people can get doctor’s appointments and the NHS services they need.”

Update 7:45 a.m. EDT Sept. 6: Liz Truss officially has taken office as the next prime minister of the United Kingdom, according to The Associated Press.

Truss’ appointment came Tuesday during a meeting with Queen Elizabeth II at the monarch’s Balmoral estate in Scotland, the news agency reported. Shortly beforehand, outgoing Prime Minister Boris Johnson also met with the queen and formally resigned.

Original report: Boris Johnson has delivered his final speech as the prime minister of the United Kingdom.

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According to The Associated Press, Johnson, 58, addressed a group of family members, aides and colleagues early Tuesday outside No. 10 Downing St., just hours before he was set to offer his official resignation to Queen Elizabeth II at her Balmoral estate in Scotland. His successor, Conservative Party leader Liz Truss, will then meet with the queen and be appointed prime minister, the news agency reported.

Liz Truss to be next UK Prime Minister

“This is it, folks. ... In only a couple of hours, I will be in Balmoral to see Her Majesty the Queen, and the torch will finally be passed to a new Conservative leader,” he said, according to The Telegraph. “The baton will be handed over in what has unexpectedly turned out to be a relay race. They changed the rules halfway through, but never mind that now.”

Watch the speech here

Johnson, who became prime minister in 2019 and announced his intent to resign in July following several scandals, went on to praise his government’s actions in response to Brexit, the coronavirus pandemic and the war in Ukraine, the BBC reported.

Boris Johnson agrees to resign as British prime minister: ‘Them’s the breaks’

“I am like one of those booster rockets that has fulfilled its function,” he continued. “I will now be gently re-entering the atmosphere and splashing down invisibly in some remote and obscure corner of the Pacific.”

The 47-year-old Truss, who took the reins of the Conservative Party on Monday after defeating former Treasury chief Rishi Sunak in an internal leadership vote, is expected to deliver her first speech as prime minister on Tuesday afternoon, the AP reported. Truss entered Parliament in 2010 and has served as Johnson’s foreign secretary since 2021, according to The Wall Street Journal.

– The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Photos: Boris Johnson delivers final address as UK prime minister British Caretaker Prime Minister Boris Johnson delivers a farewell address before his official resignation at Downing Street on September 6, 2022, in London. (Carl Court/Getty Images)

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