LONDON — Liz Truss will be the next prime minister of the U.K. after comfortably seeing off rival Rishi Sunak in the race to lead the governing Conservative Party.
Truss, currently the U.K’s foreign secretary, won 81,326 votes from Conservative members versus 60,399 for Sunak, the former chancellor who quit over his differences with Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Truss will fly to Balmoral, the queen’s Highland estate, on Tuesday to be officially sworn in as prime minister before choosing her new Cabinet.
The incoming prime minister is expected to announce a bailout package within a week of taking office in a bid to help households and businesses trying to cope with soaring inflation and rising energy bills.
Truss faced criticism during the campaign for her refusal to spell out a detailed plan to tackle the cost of living, but won over Tory members early on in the race with a promise to cut taxes.
The leadership contest was triggered by Johnson’s resignation in July after months of anger from party colleagues over his handling of a series of scandals, including sexual misconduct claims against a senior minister and political ally.
Johnson remains prime minister until the formal handover on Tuesday. He will also attend Balmoral after making his final address outside Downing Street.