New PM vows to build faster and fix energy crisis

Liz Truss promised 鈥渟pades in the ground鈥� to get Britain growing again in her maiden speech as prime minister yesterday.

Addressing the country outside 10 Downing Street upon her return from Balmoral, where she accepted the Queen鈥檚 invitation to form a new government, Truss warned of 鈥渟evere global headwinds鈥�, including the Ukraine war and the aftermath of covid.

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Liz Truss made her first speech as prime minister after returning from her meeting with the Queen

She identified growing the economy, solving the energy crisis and ensuring people receive the NHS care they need as her 鈥渢hree early priorities鈥�, the first of which she said would be achieved by tax cuts and reforms to 鈥渞eward hard work and boost business-led growth and investment鈥�.

She added: 鈥淲e 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.鈥�

The new prime minister is reportedly considering a 拢40bn package to support businesses hit by high energy costs but gave little policy detail away, saying only that she would take action this week to 鈥渢o deal with energy bills and secure the country鈥檚 future energy supply鈥�.

Truss, who served as foreign secretary in Boris Johnson鈥檚 government, also paid tribute to the outgoing PM, describing him as a 鈥渉ugely consequential prime minister鈥�.

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