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Prime ministers

Liz Truss Launches Bid to Replace Boris Johnson as Conservative Party Leader

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Foreign secretary Liz Truss formally launched her bid to replace Boris Johnson as prime minister and Conservative Party leader by pledging to set the economy on an "upward trajectory" by the time of the next general election in 2024. In her campaign launch, Truss emphasized the need for economic growth and outlined plans to cancel ex-chancellor Rishi Sunak's rises in corporation tax and National Insurance. Truss also pledged to increase defence spending to 3 percent of GDP by the end of the decade and endorsed home secretary Priti Patel's Rwanda deportation scheme. Her campaign has attracted the support of dogged Johnsonites Nadine Dorries and Jacob Rees-Mogg, positioning herself as the true heiress to Margaret Thatcher's iron legacy.

Key Takeaways:

  • Truss pledged to set the economy on an "upward trajectory" by the time of the next general election in 2024.
  • She outlined plans to cancel ex-chancellor Rishi Sunak's rises in corporation tax and National Insurance.
  • Truss pledged to increase defence spending to 3 percent of GDP by the end of the decade.
  • She endorsed home secretary Priti Patel's Rwanda deportation scheme.
  • The Conservative leadership contest is now a two-horse race between Truss and Sunak.
  • Truss has been a prominent backer of Boris Johnson in the past, but has also been critical of his handling of the Partygate scandal.
  • Truss has become increasingly active on social media, documenting her diplomatic trips and posting pictures of herself with world leaders.
  • She has faced criticism for her gaffes, including her confusion of the Baltic Sea with the Black Sea.

Statistics:

  • 2024: The next general election in the United Kingdom.
  • £30bn: The planned tax cuts announced by Truss, which Sunak has warned is a short-term "sugar rush" that will ultimately lead to economic misery.
  • 3%: The percentage of GDP that Truss pledged to increase defence spending to by the end of the decade.
  • 2014: The year in which Truss's comments on British cheese imports during the Conservative Party Conference went viral.
  • 2016: The year in which Truss responded to the right-wing press's attacks on High Court judges, describing them as "Enemies of the People".
  • 2022: The year in which Truss wrote the pamphlet "A Budget for Skills, Trade and Growth".

Sources:

  • BBC News
  • The Daily Telegraph
  • The Guardian
  • The Times

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