Liz Truss has held ministerial positions at a number of agencies including commerce, justice and treasury.
London:
British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss joined the race to replace Boris Johnson as prime minister on Monday, bringing the number of candidates in an increasingly stiff and unpredictable competition to 11.
Truss, who has held ministerial jobs in several government agencies including commerce, justice and the treasury, said she would cut taxes and maintain a hard line against Russian President Vladimir Putin.
She is looking to replace Johnson, who was forced out on Thursday after his government turned up a series of scandals. The rules for the leadership election will be introduced later on Monday, with a view to finding a successor in September.
“Under my leadership, I will start cutting taxes from day one to take immediate action to help people tackle the cost of living,” Truss wrote in the Daily Telegraph. “It’s not right to raise taxes now.”
The race for a new leader comes after one of the most remarkable periods in modern British political history, when more than 50 government ministers quit their jobs, denouncing their integrity and incompetence. Johnson’s ability to tell the truth.
With many lawmakers unhappy with Johnson staying in office until a successor is found, the party is likely to speed up the election process. It could highlight that the candidates have the backing of about 30 lawmakers to join the process, before voting begins this week to reduce the number to two.
Some 200,000 members of the Conservative Party will then choose the winner after weeks of struggles across the country.
Former finance minister Rishi Sunak was the earliest frontrunner, but that has led his opponents to attack his economic record and vow to cut taxes, even as it boosted his borrowing. higher government.
A lawmaker confirmed that a profile critical of Sunak’s profile had been circulated on the lawmakers’ WhatsApp groups.
Nadhim Zahawi, the finance minister appointed in turmoil last week, said he was also being smeared by opponents after the press raised questions about the former businessman’s personal finances and tax records. .
“I was clearly smeared,” he told Sky News on Monday. “I have been told that the Serious Fraud Office, National Crime Agency, HMRC (tax office) is looking into me. I did not know this. I have always filed my taxes, I have filed them. its taxes in Great Britain.”
Other candidates include attorney general Suella Braverman, former health minister Jeremy Hunt, former health and finance minister Sajid Javid and transport minister Grant Shapps.
One Conservative member said he was surprised by the number of his people taking part in the leadership contest.
“I shouldn’t be surprised by the ambitions and delusions of some of my colleagues, but I am,” he said. “I hope we will narrow down the list of applicants very quickly.”
(Except for the title, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from an aggregated feed.)
