What a relief that we are now able to put the leadership contest behind us! I was really pleased that the final vote produced a clear winner around whom we can all unite.
This leadership contest has come at a time when the government needs to be focused on our national priorities and I am reassured that, in her acceptance speech, our new leader said her three priorities are DELIVERY, DELIVERY, DELIVERY.
Whilst Liz Truss MP will work to deliver for the country, I am also keen to speak to her about delivery for Norfolk. Liz Truss will be the first Norfolk Prime Minister since Walpole, and I hope that we can make use of her local knowledge to expedite investment for our County.
We will no doubt find out the detail of the new Prime Minister's plans in the next few days, but in the meantime, I want to hear your views. Please click here to complete my short survey and let me know your thoughts so I can feed these back to her and colleagues in our new Government.
Please read on for the transcript of the Prime Minister's statement.
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Prime Minister Liz Truss: Downing Street Statement
Good afternoon,
I have just accepted Her Majesty The Queen's kind invitation to form a new government.
Let me pay tribute to my predecessor.
Boris Johnson delivered Brexit, the Covid vaccine, and stood up to Russian aggression.
History will see him as a hugely consequential Prime Minister.
I am honoured to take on this responsibility at a vital time for our country.
What makes Britain great is our fundamental belief in freedom, in enterprise, and in fair play.
Our people have shown grit, courage, and determination time and time again.
We now face severe global headwinds caused by Russia’s appalling war in Ukraine and the aftermath of Covid.
Now is the time to tackle the issues that are holding Britain back.
We need to build roads, homes, and broadband faster.
We need more investment and great jobs in every town and city across our country.
We need to reduce the burden on families and help people get on in life.
I know we have what it takes to tackle those challenges.
Of course, it won’t be easy. But we can do it.
We will transform Britain into an aspiration nation with high-paying jobs, safe streets and where everyone everywhere have the opportunities they deserve.
I will take action this day, and action every day, to make it happen.
United with our allies, we will stand up for freedom and democracy around the world - recognising we cannot have security at home without security abroad.
As Prime Minister, I will pursue three early priorities.
Firstly, I will get Britain working again.
I have a bold plan to grow the economy through tax cuts and reform.
I will cut taxes to reward hard work and boost business-led growth and investment.
I will drive reform in my mission to get Britain working, building, and growing.
We will get spades in the ground to make sure people are not facing unaffordable energy bills and we will also make sure that we are building hospitals, schools, roads, and broadband.
Secondly, I will deal hands-on with the energy crisis caused by Putin’s war.
I will take action this week to deal with energy bills and to secure our future energy supply.
Thirdly, I will make sure people can get the doctors’ appointments and NHS services they need. We will put our health service on a firm footing.
By delivering on the economy, energy, and the NHS, we will put our nation on the path to long-term success.
We should not be daunted by the challenges we face.
As strong as the storm may be, I know the British people are stronger.
Our country was built by people who get things done.
We have huge reserves of talent, of energy, and of determination.
I am confident that together we can ride out the storm, we can rebuild our economy, and become the modern, brilliant Britain that I know we can be.
This is our vital mission to ensure opportunity and prosperity for all people and future generations. I am determined to deliver.
Thank you.
