‘Hopeless’ - Liverpool politicians react to Liz Truss becoming new Prime Minister

Liz Truss will become the next Prime Minister, following a Tory leadership battle with Rishi Sunak.

Taking 57% of the votes, Truss will become Prime Minister on Tuesday, after meeting with the Queen.

Foreign Secretary since September of last year, she launched her candidacy for party leader after Boris Johnson was forced to resign in July 2022.

Both candidates have faced criticism, with Truss recently causing controversy after suggesting plans to scrap motorway speed limits.

Truss will be the fourth Tory leader in six years, and ruled out calling an early general election in her acceptance speech.

Liz Truss’ acceptance speech

This afternoon, Liz Truss delivered her acceptance and speech at Westminster, thanking those who voted for her and promising to ‘govern as a Consverative.’

She said: “I’d like to pay tribute to my fellow candidates, particularly Rishi Sunak. It’s been a hard-fought campaign. I think we have shown the depth and breadth of talent in our Conservative party. I also want to thank our outgoing leader, my friend, Boris Johnson. Boris, you got Brexit done. You crushed Jeremy Corbyn. You rolled out the vaccine and you stood up to Vladimir Putin. You are admired from Kyiv to Carlisle.

“Friends and colleagues thank you for putting your faith in me to lead our great Conservative Party, the greatest political party on earth. I know that our beliefs resonate with the British people. Our beliefs in freedom, in the ability to control your own life, in low taxes, in personal responsibility. And I know that’s why people voted for us in such numbers in 2019. And as your party leader, I intend to deliver what we promised those voters right across our great country.

“During this leadership campaign, I campaigned as a conservative and I will govern as a conservative. And my friends, we need to show that we will deliver over the next two years. I will deliver a bold plan to cut taxes and grow our economy. I will deliver on the energy crisis, dealing with people’s energy bills, but also dealing with the long term issues we have on energy supply. And I will deliver on the National Health Service.”

Her speech has been criticised by many on Twitter, especially her mention of Jeremy Corbyn and praise of Boris Johnson, despite his resignation.

How Liverpool politicians reacted

Liverpool is a staunch Labour area, not having had a Conservative councillor for over twenty years.

The area faces high levels of poverty and low wages according to the latest Index of Multiple Deprivation report. The city also has a known dislike of the Conservative party. So, no Tory leader is ideal in the eyes of Liverpudlians, but this is how local politicians reacted to the news.

Several Merseyside MPs retweeted the Labour Party’s video, ‘What does Liz Truss think about working people’ where she can be heard saying we need a ‘bit more graft’ rather than blaming Europe for the cost of living crisis.

Mick Whitley, Labour MP for Birkenhead, tweeted: “Millions of people are living in terror at the prospect of the coming winter, but Liz Truss has spent two months championing the interests of the wealthy few. Her acceptance speech today proves just how detached she is from the reality facing ordinary people.”

While, Paula Barker, Labour MP for Wavertree added: “So, Liz Truss elected as Tory leader and new PM. More of the same from a stale Tory party and it’s membership. If the reports are true, her new Cabinet promises to be equally as hopeless. Our people need and deserve much better”

Alison McGovern, Labour MP for Wirral South, mocked Liz Truss’ handling of the cost-of-living crisis: