ELIZABETH TRUSS EMERGE AS NEW BRITISH PRIME MINISTER.

A new British Prime Minister has emerged, she is Mary Elizabeth Truss, Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs of the United Kingdom. A British politician and leader of the Conservative Party, and will be appointed Prime Minister of the United Kingdom by the Queen in due course.

Truss was not a favourite among those who stepped forward to replace Boris Johnson following his resignation in early July.

In fact, as one of the Cabinet members who stuck with Johnson all through his scandal-ridden last few months in office, she was considered an outsider to succeed him.

But then the leadership contest began; She threw her hat into the ring, and gradually inched her way up during the five rounds of voting by Conservative Members of Parliament.

And by the time the lawmakers finished their own selection process, it was only her and Rishi Sunak- who had led all through the rounds, that were the final two candidates standing, in accordance with the selection rules.

Now, over 160,000 members of the Tory Party have spoken, “It’s Liz we prefer”

Truss who had supported Britain remaining in the European Union becomes the third successive Foreign Secretary to emerge as Prime Minster after Theresa May, and Boris Johnson, though the latter resigned prior to seeking the party leadership.

So what is Truss’ scorecard as Foreign Secretary? The Controversial asylum seekers’ relocation plan comes to mind.

That plan which involved shipping asylum seekers who were already in Britain out of the country to Rwanda, from where their applications will now be processed, was criticised as dead on arrival, even though it got cabinet approval and was pushed through parliament.

The inaugural flight which had been set to take off turned off its engines, once the courts put a halt to the deportation of some illegal immigrants who were to be flown, much to Truss’s dissatisfaction.

Just as her former boss, Truss knocked Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.

She had earlier in her political career held the position of Undersecretary for Education when David Cameron was Prime Minister.

Truss was promoted as Environment Secretary, and was also Justice Secretary, but later demoted to Chief Secretary to the Treasury, a non-cabinet rank- all during Theresa May’s Premiership.

When Johnson got elected as Prime minister in that biggest electoral win by the Conservatives in 30 years three years ago, she was promoted to International Trade Secretary.

The incoming Prime minister has a huge task on her hands, tackling the energy cost crisis facing British households and businesses, and she has reportedly drawn up a plan to be unveiled within a week of being the occupant of 10 Downing street. That is a major one for her as the cost of living continues to soar.

Truss got married in the year 2000, four years after graduating from Oxford University, and interestingly was student president of the Campus chapter of the Liberal Democratic Party.

She joined the Conservative Party upon graduation and is now the supremo of the party which has a registered membership put at 0.3 percent of the UK population.

She will be at the Balmoral Castle on Tuesday to meet the Queen to formalize her premiership.

BY SOLA JAYESIMI; with additional support from the BBC.