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Liz Truss, the new Prime Minister, said in a speech outside 10 Downing Street: ‘Boris Johnson delivered Brexit, the Covid vaccine and stood up to Russian aggression. History will see him as a hugely consequential prime minister.’ For her part: ‘I am confident that together we can ride out the storm.’ Earlier, on being elected leader of the Conservative party, she had said: ‘I know that we will deliver, we will deliver, we will deliver.’ She had been elected by party members ahead of Rishi Sunak by 81,326 votes to 60,399 (57.4 per cent to 42.6). Turnout was 82.6 per cent. She travelled to Balmoral the next day to kiss hands as the 15th prime minister of the Queen’s reign as soon as Boris Johnson, accompanied by his wife Carrie (who wore a magenta silk Dreamy maxi dress), had resigned his ministry to the Queen there. In his last speech as PM, standing outside No. 10, he said: ‘Like Cincinnatus, I am returning to my plough.’ Priti Patel, the home secretary, had written to him the night before saying she would continue to serve the country from the back benches. Nadine Dorries also resigned, as culture secretary, to write more of her widely enjoyed novels.
Liz Truss appointed a cabinet. Thérèse Coffey became Health Secretary with the title of Deputy Prime Minister; Kwasi Kwarteng was made Chancellor of the Exchequer; James Cleverly Foreign Secretary; Suella Braverman Home Secretary; Ben Wallace continued as Defence Secretary; Jacob Rees-Mogg became Business Secretary (with responsibility for energy); Kemi Badenoch Trade Secretary; Penny Mordaunt leader of the Commons; Sir Robert Buckland was back, as Welsh Secretary; Tom Tugendhat was made Minister for Security and will attend the cabinet. There was nothing for Rishi Sunak.
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