Liz Truss will be the next Prime Minister of the United Kingdom after defeating Rishi Sunak by 20,927 votes.
Truss, who received 81,326 votes to Sunak’s 60,398, will succeed Boris Johnson at a period of economic and political instability in the UK
She was not the Conservative Party’s top choice, and a majority of British people believe she will be a “poor” or “awful” prime minister, but Truss was the favorite among Tory volunteers who chose the leader of their party and Britain in a vote published Monday.
Challenger Rishi Sunak — though the preferred choice among Conservative members of Parliament — had a tough time convincing his party’s voters that tackling inflation should come before tax cuts. And Sunak’s leading role in Johnson’s ouster seemed to hurt him with the grass roots. Angry Tories called him a “Brutus.”
The announcement of the Conservative Party leader will be followed with Britain’s version of Inauguration Day on Tuesday.
The new prime minister would be expected to address the British public back in London later in the day.
This will be the 96-year-old queen’s 15th prime minister.
Truss will be Britain’s third female prime minister — following Margaret Thatcher and Theresa May. And the United Kingdom will join a small club of countries that has had at least three female heads of government.
In Britain’s case, all of its female leaders have come from the Conservative Party, even though the Tories have fewer female lawmakers than do the other main political parties.