Liz Truss - The African Mirror

Oct

2022

Boris Johnson returns to UK in bid for rapid political comeback

ANDREW MACASKILL and MUVIJA M BORIS Johnson returned to Britain as he considers an audacious attempt to win a second term as prime minister only weeks after he was forced to step down, with some colleagues warning his comeback could create more political chaos. Potential candidates to replace Prime Minister Liz Truss, who quit on Thursday after six weeks in office, were embarking on a frantic weekend of lobbying to secure enough nominations to enter the leadership contest before Monday's deadline. Johnson, who was on holiday in the Caribbean when Truss resigned, has not commented publicly about a bid for his old…

Oct

2022

By The African Mirror

Race to be next UK PM begins as momentum grows behind Boris Johnson

WORLD

ELIZABETH PIPER, KYLIE MACLELLAN and ANDREW MACASKILL FOUR senior ministers threw their weight behind Boris Johnson to return as British prime minister after Liz Truss's resignation triggered a contest to quickly replace her as Conservative Party leader. Former defence minister Penny Mordaunt became the first candidate to officially declare, but Johnson and Rishi Sunak, once his finance minister, led potential contenders as candidates canvassed support ahead of voting next week. With the Conservatives holding a large majority in parliament and able to ignore calls for a general election for another two years, the new party leader will become prime minister…

Oct

2022

By The African Mirror

UK’s Sunak, Mordaunt in running to be next PM – Sky

NEWS

RISHI Sunak and Penny Mordaunt, two contenders in Britain's previous leadership contest this year, are believed to be in the running to become the nation's next prime minister following Liz Truss's resignation on Thursday, Sky News reported. Separately the Guardian's political editor reported former minister Michael Gove was "ruled out" for the leadership. Thomson Reuters Foundation

Oct

2022

By The African Mirror

British PM Truss: ‘I am a fighter, not a quitter’

WORLD

BRITISH Prime Minister Liz Truss defied calls from opposition lawmakers to resign after having U-turned on her proposed economic plans, saying she was a "fighter" and not a "quitter". Responding to a question from opposition Labour Party leader Keir Starmer in parliament on why she should remain in power, Truss said: "I am a fighter and not a quitter." "I have acted in the national interest to make sure that we have economic stability." Thomson Reuters Foundation

Oct

2022

By The African Mirror

Britain’s political and market turmoil

WORLD

PRIME Minister Liz Truss has apologised for threatening Britain's economic stability after she was forced to scrap her economic agenda, with some Conservative lawmakers calling on her to quit. Her apology came after her new finance minister Jeremy Hunt demolished the radical economic agenda she proposed less than a month ago, reversing her vast tax-cutting plans and flagging a programme of "eye-watering" public spending cuts instead. Following is a snapshot of related events, comments and explanations: TRUSS U-TURN * Truss said was sorry for going "too far and too fast" with her radical economic plan. Her apology came after weeks of her blaming the…

Oct

2022

By The African Mirror

UK’s Truss sacrifices finance minister, scraps tax plan in fight to survive

WORLD

ELIZABETH PIPER, KATE HOLTON and ALISTAIR SMOUT BRITISH Prime Minister Liz Truss fired her finance minister Kwasi Kwarteng and scrapped parts of their unpopular economic package in a desperate bid for political survival less than 40 days into her premiership. With financial markets in turmoil, a chastened Truss said she accepted her government's plans for unfunded tax cuts had gone "further and faster" than investors were expecting. "I have acted decisively today because my priority is ensuring our country's economic stability," she told a brief news conference in Downing Street. "I want to be honest, this is difficult. But we…

Jul

2022

By The African Mirror

Race to become UK PM down to final two: Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss

WORLD

FORMER finance minister Rishi Sunak and foreign secretary Liz Truss will battle it out to become Britain's next prime minister after they won the final lawmaker vote, setting up the last stage of the contest to replace Boris Johnson. Sunak has led in all rounds of the voting among Conservative lawmakers, but it is Truss who seems to have gained the advantage so far among the 200,000 members of the governing party who will ultimately choose the winner. The final stretch of a weeks-long contest will pit Sunak, a former Goldman Sachs banker who has raised the tax burden towards…

Jul

2022

By The African Mirror

Foreign Secretary Truss enters race to become next British prime minister

WORLD

THE 11 candidates seeking to replace Boris Johnson as prime minister will learn the planned timetable to select the new British leader, as the contest becomes increasingly unpredictable, bitter and divisive. British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss became the latest high-profile name to put herself forward, echoing the promises of her rivals to cut taxes and saying she would maintain a tough line against Russian President Vladimir Putin. Johnson was forced out last Thursday after his government imploded over a series of scandals. The contest is for the leadership of the ruling Conservative Party, with the winner then becoming prime minister.…