Liz Truss is "detached" from normal people and will offer "more of the same" as Prime Minister, according to some Merseyside MPs.
Ms Truss was announced as the new leader of the Conservative Party and the country's next Prime Minister on Monday (September 5) after beating Rishi Sunak in the party's leadership election. Having been Foreign Secretary since September 2021, Ms Truss will become the United Kingdom's 56th Prime Minister and succeed Boris Johnson when appointed at Balmoral on Tuesday (September 6).
The MP for South West Norfolk was long seen as the favourite against the former Chancellor. Truss is seen as an adaptable figure within the parliamentary party and was able to woo party members with promises of a conservative fiscal approach, built around tax cuts.
READ MORE: We have a new Prime Minister but Merseyside won't be feeling any more hopeful
To no real surprise, she won with 81,326 votes (57%), Rishi Sunak received 60,399 (43%).
In her victory speech, Truss promised to deliver for voters across the country. She said: “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.
“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.”
However, MPs and political figures from across Merseyside were not convinced.
Taking to Twitter, Paula Barker, MP for Wavertree, said: "So, @trussliz elected as Tory leader and new PM. More of the same from a stale Tory party and its membership. If the reports are true, her new Cabinet promises to be equally as hopeless. Our people need and deserve much better."
Birkenhead MP Mick Whitley tweeted: "Millions of people are living in terror at the prospect of the coming winter, but Liz Truss has spent two months championing the interests of the wealthy few. Her acceptance speech today proves just how detached she is from the reality facing ordinary people."
Many of Merseyside's Labour MPs retweeted a video from their party which included an audio file of Liz Truss previously speaking about British workers. She said: “We say it’s all Europe that’s causing us all these problems, it’s all migrants that’s causing problems, but, actually, what needs to happen is, you know, a bit more graft (laughter). British workers produce less per hour and that’s a combination of, kind of, skill and application.
“If you look at productivity, it’s very, very different in London from the rest of the country. Essentially, it’s partly a sort of mindset and attitude thing.”
Labour captioned the tweet: "This is what new Conservative Prime Minister Liz Truss really thinks about working people."
After the announcement of Ms Truss' victory, Liverpool City Region Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram said: "e need a Prime Minister serious about tackling inequality. Any new administration must be committed to delivering proper levelling up. Led by the North, for the North."
However, Merseyside's only Conservative MP, Southport's Damien Moore, welcomed Ms Truss' victory. In a statement sent to the ECHO, he said: “I'm thrilled that Liz Truss has been elected as Leader of the Conservative and Unionist Party, and as Prime Minister.
“Liz will formally take office tomorrow when she visits HM The Queen at Balmoral, who will invite her to form a new Government.
“The new Prime Minister will immediately begin work on dealing with the issues our country is facing, whether that is on the cost of living, the war in Ukraine, dealing with the NHS Covid backlog, or growing our economy. These are difficult times, but Liz has a strong reputation for delivering. I know that she will rise to the challenge.
“When she takes office, Liz will become our nation's third female Prime Minister. I am deeply proud, as I know my party is too, that all have been Conservatives.
“It's now time to get on with the job and make the big, bold decisions our country needs.”
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