Liz Truss has warned that Britain continues to “battle by a storm” however she believes “brighter days lie forward” as she made her last speech as prime minister earlier than energy is handed to new Tory chief Rishi Sunak.
After seven chaotic weeks within the high job, Truss spoke on Tuesday of the necessity to reward tax cuts and have fun reversing the nationwide insurance coverage hike imposed by Sunak when he was chancellor.
She spoke earlier than travelling to Buckingham Palace to formally tender her resignation to King Charles III after simply 49 days in workplace, making her the shortest-serving prime minister in British historical past.
Talking from Downing Avenue, Truss stated: “From my time as prime minister I am extra satisfied than ever that we should be daring and confront the challenges we face.”
“We merely can not afford to be a low-growth nation the place the Authorities takes up an rising share of our nationwide wealth and the place there are large divides between totally different components of our nation. We have to make the most of our Brexit freedoms to do issues otherwise.”
Truss made no apologies for the disastrous mini-budget that sparked monetary turmoil and led to the chaotic finish of her premiership.
She continued to face by her tax-cutting beliefs, regardless of being compelled to reverse most of her insurance policies when new Chancellor Jeremy Hunt was introduced in to clear up the mess.
She cited certainly one of Brexit’s advantages as “decrease taxes, so folks hold extra of the cash they earn”, earlier than wishing Sunak “each success, for the great of our nation”.
Truss additionally stated the UK should have the ability to “out-compete” autocratic regimes “the place energy lies within the palms of the few”.
“Now greater than ever we should help Ukraine of their courageous struggle towards Putin’s aggression.
“Ukraine should prevail and we should proceed to strengthen our nation’s defences.”
Within the speech lasting three minutes and 7 seconds, Truss quoted Roman thinker Seneca to say: “It isn’t as a result of issues are troublesome that we don’t dare. It’s as a result of we don’t dare that they’re troublesome.”
She thanked her household and her short-lived Downing Avenue staff in the course of the speech in entrance of a comparatively small crowd of supporters that included her daughters Frances and Liberty, husband Hugh O’Leary and Deputy Prime Minister Therese Coffey.
Truss stated she would proceed to take a seat as a backbencher as MP for South West Norfolk.
Sunak can be appointed because the nation’s subsequent prime minister by the King and look to construct a brand new Cupboard that may unite a fractious Tory celebration.
He gained the Tory management contest on Monday with out a vote after rivals Penny Mordaunt and Boris Johnson dropped out of the race.
Allies hope he’ll stabilise the celebration following Johnson’s dramatic downfall and his successor’s fleeting however tumultuous tenure.
