Liz Truss’s short, stilted first speech as Tory leader in full as she’s named next PM
Liz Truss has been named Britain’s next Prime Minister and will take office tomorrow after meeting the Queen at Balmoral.
Her first speech at the QEII conference centre in London was just 390 words or five minutes long, and included a few awkward pauses for members to applause.
Ms Truss used her speech to heap praise on “my friend Boris Johnson ”, telling the absent PM: “You are admired from Kyiv to Carlisle.”
She promised “low taxes” and “freedom”, alongside help for energy bills, but did not go into details at the podium.
And she appeared to rule out an early general election – by claiming there will be a “great victory for the Conservative Party in 2024”.
Ms Truss will give a fuller speech in Downing Street on Tuesday afternoon after being formally confirmed as Prime Minister by the Queen.
For now, here is the speech in full and you can watch it above on the video feed:
Liz Truss’s first speech as Tory leader in full
It’s an honour to be elected as leader of the Conservative and Unionist Party.
I’d like to thank the 1922 Committee, the party chairman and the Conservative Party for organising one of the longest job interviews in history. Thank you very much.
I’d also like to thank my family, my friends, my political colleagues, and all of those who helped on this campaign. I’m incredibly grateful for all of your support.
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AFP via Getty Images)
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.
And I also I 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 for Kyiv to Carlisle.
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PA)
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.
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Ian Vogler / Daily Mirror)
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.
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REUTERS)
But we all will deliver for our country. And I will make sure that we use all the fantastic talents of the Conservative Party – our brilliant Members of Parliament and peers, our fantastic councillors. Our MSs, our MSPs, all of our councillors and activists and members right across our country.
Because my friends, I know that we will deliver, we will deliver, we will deliver
And we will deliver a great victory for the Conservative Party in 2024. Thank you.