Britain's Boris Johnson Resigns Amid Scandal
Johnson stepped down as Conservative Party leader but said he would remain in office as prime minister until the party chooses his successor.
LEARN MORELiz Truss Set To Become New Prime Minister Of The United Kingdom
Foreign Secretary Liz Truss received 81,326 Conservative Party votes, beating former Treasury chief Rishi Sunak, who received 60,399 votes.
Liz Truss Set To Become New Prime Minister Of The United Kingdom
Frank Augstein / AP
September 5, 2022
Britain’s Conservative Party has chosen Foreign Secretary Liz Truss as the party’s new leader, putting her in line to be confirmed as prime minister.
Truss’s selection was announced Monday in London after a leadership election in which only the 180,000 dues-paying members of the Conservative Party were allowed to vote. Truss beat rival Rishi Sunak, the government’s former Treasury chief, by promising to increase defense spending and cut taxes, while refusing to say how she would address the cost-of-living crisis.
Truss received 81,326 votes to Sunak's 60,399.
Queen Elizabeth II is scheduled to formally name Truss as Britain’s prime minister on Tuesday. The ceremony will take place at the queen’s Balmoral estate in Scotland, where the monarch is vacationing, rather than at Buckingham Palace.
The two-month leadership contest left Britain with a power vacuum at a time when consumers, workers and businesses were demanding government action to mitigate the impact of soaring food and energy prices. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has had no authority to make major policy decisions since July 7, when he announced his intention to resign.
With household energy bills set to increase by 80% next month, charities warn that as many as 1 in 3 households will face fuel poverty this winter, leaving millions of people to choose between eating and heating their homes. The Bank of England has forecast that inflation will reach a 42-year high of 13.3% in October, threatening to push Britain into a prolonged recession.
Johnson was forced to resign after a series of ethics scandals that peaked in July when dozens of cabinet ministers and lower level officials resigned over his handling of allegations of sexual misconduct by a senior member of his government.
Under Britain’s parliamentary system of government, the center-right Conservative Party was allowed to hold an internal election to select a new party leader and prime minister, without going to the wider electorate. A new general election isn’t required until December 2024.
Additional reporting by The Associated Press.
Vatican says Pope to be hospitalized for days for lung infection
Representatives for Pope Francis confirmed that he does not have COVID-19, but will remain in a hospital for several days for a respiratory issue.
Zelenskyy meets with UN atomic agency chief in Ukraine
The leaders discussed the precarious situation at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, which has lost several of its power transmission cables.
2:30
Why are some citizens protesting in France?
Hundreds of people were arrested in clashes amid some the biggest protests so far against the raising of France's retirement age.
Top Stories
2:26
How can commuting be good for your mental health?
A recent study found that commutes are a sort of "liminal space" – a time free of both home and work roles.
2:54
Vice President Harris touts US-African partnerships in 3-nation tour
Vice President Kamala Harris' week-long tour in Africa seeks to strengthen U.S. ties with key African nations as China and Russia also eye the region.
Potential TikTok ban could limit small businesses' reach
“I would not be where I'm at right now without TikTok,” one small business owner said.
