Liz Truss – live: New PM to be announced as Tories warned ‘divided parties lose elections’

Labour’s shadow health secretary Wes Streeting has compared incoming prime minister Liz Truss and her supporters to a “gang of arsonists” asking the country to trust them to “put out the fire”.

Reacting to the news of Ms Truss’s victory, Mr Streeting told the Press Association news agency: “No surprises that Liz Truss has won the Conservative leadership contest, I think the bigger surprise is that she’s won with a lower proportion of Conservative MPs than any incoming Conservative prime minister and a lower proportion of Conservative party members.

“Our concern is that after a summer of talking exclusively to Conservative party members, she’s now about to start talking exclusive to Conservative Party MPs, rather than doing what she should be doing, which is speaking directly to the country, tackling the big issues that face us – the cost of living crisis, rising energy bills, the biggest crisis in the NHS’s history, and the breakdown in law and order.

“I think the challenge that Liz Truss has got is that she’s part of a gang of arsonists saying to the country, ‘trust me to put out the fire’, and I’m not sure that they will buy it.”

Ben Elliot, an ally of Boris Johnson, has resigned as Conservative Party co-chair following Liz Truss’s election as leader.

It comes days after Labour Party chair Anneliese Dodds urged the next PM to start the process of cleaning “up the sleaze-ridden Conservative Party” by “removing Ben Elliot as Chair and finally coming clean about who belongs to the shadowy group of mega-donors he set up”.

The Mail+ reported a friend of Mr Elliot’s as saying that his “own initiative and contacts” had been responsible for more than one third of donor income, adding: “Ben’s departure is a huge loss to the party. Fundraising is more important than ever in order to fund the party’s campaigns and will be critical at the next election.

“He is going because he recognises that Liz will want the freedom to appoint her own chair, and wants to spend more time concentrating on his businesses.”

Mr Elliot himself was quoted by the paper as saying: “I would like to thank Boris Johnson for appointing me, and wish Liz Truss every success in leading our great country, particularly given the challenges of the winter ahead.”

As Liz Truss awaits the keys to No 10, our political editor Andrew Woodcock has written this overview of Boris Johnson’s premiership, in which he reports:

The prime minister’s “world king” phase reached its pinnacle three days after the date of Brexit with a speech in Greenwich in which he evoked the spirit of the sea-faring 18th century builders of empire to declare Britain the “supercharged champion” of international trade.

Viewed from today, with British exporters mired in new red tape, queues at the ports and trade with Europe slumping, the speech appears dripping with hubris. All the more so because the date of Brexit coincided exactly with the arrival in the UK of the other issue set to define his premiership – Covid-19.

When asked whether he was hopeful to keep a job in Cabinet, James Cleverly said he will support Liz Truss in “whatever way I’m able to”, and he believes the public will “warm” to her over time.

The education secretary told the PA news agency: “I’m not going to guess or speculate or try to predict who might form part of the government.

“I’m going to support her in whatever way I’m able to because I think she’s going to be a fantastic prime minister.”

When asked whether he was concerned about Ms Truss being less popular with the public than her predecessor, he said: “Boris was a very, very popular prime minister and he’s still very, very popular with huge swathes of the country and people know him very well.

“But I have absolutely no doubt that the more they see of Liz, the more they get to know her, the more they will warm to her, which is exactly what we saw during this leadership competition.

“She’s got a tough job to do but I know she’ll hit the ground running and use the campaign experience that she has got to deliver good government for the country.”

Sinn Fein vice president Michelle O’Neill said Liz Truss needed to prioritise the restoration of powersharing in Northern Ireland.

Ms O’Neill said the UK Government needed to stop “pandering to the DUP” as she called for an urgent meeting with the incoming prime minister.

“Liz Truss has an opportunity to come in now and stop pandering to the DUP, stop pandering to the approach which is damaging to our ability to help people through the cost of living crisis,” she said.

She urged the new prime minister not to suspend the Northern Ireland Protocol, by triggering Article 16 of the post-Brexit arrangements, and instead engage with the EU and Irish government to find a resolution to the issues with Irish Sea trade.

“What we need to see now is a change of tack, a change of policy, a change of approach,” she said.

Ms O’Neill added: “Even at this late stage Liz Truss has an opportunity when she comes in to her new post to actually work with the EU, work with the Irish government, find ways to reset relationships and find ways to make the protocol work because we all know there are solutions there, that are on the table.”

Liz Truss will replace Boris Johnson as prime minister after defeating Rishi Sunak in the Conservative Party leadership race. Sir Graham Brady, the 1922 Committee chair, announced on Monday that Ms Truss won with 81,326 votes to Mr Sunak’s 60,399.

European Commission head Ursula von der Leyen praised Liz Truss’ win writing on Twitter: “Congratulations Liz Truss. The EU and the UK are partners.

The new Tory leader has said she intends to press ahead with the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill, which will allow the Government to override parts of the agreement struck with the European Union on post-Brexit arrangements.

“We face many challenges together, from climate change to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. I look forward to a constructive relationship, in full respect of our agreements.”

Director general of the World Trade Organisation Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala also congratulated Liz Truss after her win.

Former Conservative prime minister David Cameron tweeted: “Many congratulations to new PM (Liz Truss).

“At this time of challenge & global uncertainty, I wish the new government well.

“I never forget the support I had from all former Conservative leaders when I won the ballot in 2005 & I hope all Conservatives will unite behind the new PM.”

Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak eschewed a handshake on Monday as the result of the Tory leadership election was announced.

Ms Truss acknowledged her rival in passing at the podium, telling her audience: “I’d like to pay tribute to my fellow candidates, particularly Rishi Sunak. It’s been a hard-fought campaign.”

Mr Sunak had rubbished Ms Truss’s economic policies and warned she risked provoking an inflationary spiral with unfunded tax cuts.

Read the full story below from our policy correspondent, Jon Stone: