Nicola Sturgeon has congratulated Liz Truss on winning the Conservative leadership contest - but warned the next Prime Minister must now tackle the cost of living crisis gripping the UK.
The SNP leader pledged today she would try and form a "good working relationship" with Boris Johnson's replacement.
Truss will be formally appointed Prime Minister tomorrow after a meeting with the Queen at Balmoral.
She faces a difficult start to her time in Downing Street with fuel bills expected to rise sharply over the winter and inflation soaring.
The UK Government also faces a Supreme Court battle next month over Sturgeon's plan to hold a second referendum on independence in 2023.
Reacting to Truss' victory over former chancellor Rishi Sunak, the First Minister said: "Congratulations to Liz Truss.
"Our political differences are deep, but I will seek to build a good working relationship with her as I did with last three PMs. She must now freeze energy bills for people and businesses, deliver more cash support, and increase funding for public services."
Truss defeated rival Rishi Sunak with 81,326 votes to 60,399 and will take over as prime minister on Tuesday with the immediate challenge of easing the cost-of-living crisis for households across the country faced with soaring energy bills.
The Tory MP used her victory speech to indicate she would not be triggering an early general election, instead pledging to secure “a great victory for the Conservative Party in 2024”.
She won by a significant margin, but the 57% victory over Sunak’s 43% was slimmer than in other recent contests.
Truss thanked her “friend” Boris Johnson, who will depart No 10 on Tuesday before Ms Truss flies to Balmoral to meet the Queen for the formal handover of power.
“Boris, you got Brexit done, you crushed Jeremy Corbyn, you rolled out the vaccine and you stood up to Vladimir Putin.
“You were admired from Kyiv to Carlisle".
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