Stirling’s MP has cast doubt over whether new Prime Minister Liz Truss can “rise to the challenge” of dealing with the ongoing energy cost crisis following her election victory this week.
Ms Truss won the approval of Conservative party members and was elected as the party’s new leader on Monday afternoon. Yesterday (Tuesday), following a meeting with the Queen at her Scottish residence at Balmoral, she became the UK’s third female Prime Minister.
But Alyn Smith MP has called on her to act now to avert a further rise in energy bills.
Ms Truss won out against rival Rishi Sunak, sealing 57 per cent of party members’ votes – with 81,326 votes compared to Rishi Sunak’s 60,399.
She replaces Boris Johnson who was forced to resign in disgrace following a series of lockdown breaching boozy parties at No 10 and at Whitehall.
Using her victory speech to outline how she will “deliver a bold plan” to cut taxes and grow the economy, Ms Truss vowed to tackle skyrocketing energy costs, saying: “I will deliver on the energy crisis – dealing with people’s energy bills but also dealing with the long-term issues we have with energy supply.”
She also paid tribute to Boris Johnson, saying that his handling of the Russian invasion into Ukraine meant that he is “admired from Kiev to Carlisle”.
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Following Ms Truss’ victory, Stirling SNP MP Alyn Smith urged the new Tory leader to act now over spiralling energy costs facing millions of Brits.
Mr Smith told the Observer: “Stirling doesn’t need another ‘here today, gone tomorrow’ lightweight PM in London, we need independence to get back into the EU to change how we do things.
“The Tories will try to spin the result as a fresh start but in the real world across Stirling we’ve seen 12 years of the Tories in power in the UK – the cost of living crisis is an accumulation of Westminster’s poor decision-making, toxic political culture and lack of any strategic planning on energy.”
He added: “That pensioners in Doune are so anxious about the coming winter when they can see abundant electricity being generated across the Braes is obscene. In energy rich Scotland we should not be experiencing an energy crisis – it has been signed, sealed and delivered in Westminster.
“I’ve debated across the dispatch box with Liz Truss, she’s been my opposite number for some time, and on a personal level, of course, I congratulate her. If she takes serious action to deal with the problems faced by many across the UK, I’ll work with her.
“I hope for the sake of constituents and businesses across Stirling she rises to the challenge and uses the fiscal, social security and economic powers hoarded by the UK Government to finally tackle sky-high energy bills, support households and back businesses. But I have my doubts.”
Councillor Neil Benny, leader of the Stirling Conservatives group at Stirling Council, said: “Liz Truss has previously been directly involved in helping Stirling secure the Stirling City Region deal funding from the UK Government. Throughout that process she showed herself as a person who gets things done.
“She holds Scotland close to her heart and will do everything she can to ensure this country continues to play a leading role within the United Kingdom. She now faces huge challenges due to the unprecedented global situation and I sincerely hope the Scottish Government will work with her to help address them rather than follow their own narrow and divisive agenda.”
Congratulating the new leader, Mid Scotland and Fife Tory MSP Alexander Stewart said: “Both Liz and Rishi, along with their teams, should be proud of the campaigns they have run and the way they have engaged with our party’s members.
“However, now that the leadership election is over, it is time for the whole of the Conservative Party to come together as one and to robustly tackle the enormous challenges that our country faces, not least the burgeoning cost of living crisis.
“Throughout her political career, Liz has displayed a record of delivery, whether that was in removing the US tariffs on whisky and cashmere, or in managing the UK’s robust support for Ukraine both before and following the Russian invasion.
“I look forward very much to our new leader and Prime Minister continuing to deliver for Scotland and the whole of the UK, as she has done already in her former role as Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, especially during this most challenging of times.”
