Liz Truss: Main contender against Rishi Sunak becomes the new UK PM

The United Kingdom Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has created a following for herself thanks to her alleged resemblance to former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher during her first leadership battle. Dubbed “the new Iron Lady”, the 46-year-old hasreplaced Boris Johnson as the Prime Minister of the UK after emerging victorious overRishi Sunak.

Both of Truss’ parents came from academic backgrounds with father John Kenneth Truss teaching mathematics at the University of Leeds and mother Priscilla Mary being a teacher as well as a member of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament.

She studied economics, politics and philosophy at Merton College, Oxford before joining the Conservative Party in 1996. In her first ever election in 2010, she represented the party in South West Norfolk and since then, she has never lost that seat.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

Over the course of her career, Truss has held cabinet positions under the leadership of David Cameron, Theresa May and Boris Johnson. In 2014, she was appointed Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and in 2016, she became the first female Lord Chancellor in the history of the office. She also served as Chief Secretary to the Treasury for some time.

Under Boris Johnson, she was made Secretary of State for International Trade and President of the Board of Trade but in 2021, she replaced Dominic Raab and became only second female Foreign Secretary in British history.

During her tenure, she worked extensively on the UK-EU relationship and her key achievement was the release of British citizen Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe from her detention in Iran.

Left-wing parents and Conservative Liz Truss

Her left-wing math professor father and nuclear disarmament activist mother, whom she accompanied to protests as a child, were both astonished by her decision to join the Conservative Party, according to her own admission."One of his colleagues sent an email when he found out saying: 'I see your daughter's become a T***' (Tory)," Truss told The Guardian of her father. Truss, though, believed that the Tories were a better fit for her support of the tiny state.

'Disruptor-in-chief' and an enemy of 'burdensome red tape

Throughout Boris Johnson's tumultuous three years in Downing Street, Truss has been a steadfast supporter and has positioned herself as the torchbearer of his "boosterish" view of Britain's place in the world. Truss was first chosen by Johnson to serve as his minister of foreign trade and as the spokesperson for his "Global Britain" policy. She secured deals in her capacity, particularly with Australia, Japan, and Norway.

She has stated that, in hindsight, she would have voted against Brexit and touted its advantages for the economy. She identifies herself as a "disruptor-in-chief" and an opponent of "burdensome red tape." However, several MPs have charged her with constant self-promotion.

(With inputs from agencies)