Truss could become new British prime minister tomorrow, promises action on energy

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said on Sunday that she would launch urgent action to tackle rising energy bills and increase energy supply if appointed prime minister.

The ruling Conservative Party is expected to name Truss as its leader and the new British prime minister on Monday at a time when the country is facing what is forecast to be a long recession, double-digit inflation and industrial unrest.

It is a long and expensive list of challenges for the future leader who will replace Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Truss said she would tackle the struggling economy head-on, repeating a promise to boost growth.

Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, she said she understood how challenging the cost of living crisis was for Britons and that she would take "decisive steps to ensure families and businesses get through this winter and the next".

Her rival, former finance minister Rishi Sunak, has also sought to boost his standing by announcing he would tackle rising energy bills, saying he would offer all Britons some financial support, with extra help for those on the lowest incomes and pensioners, Reuters writes.

After weeks of mutual campaigning in an often acrimonious leadership contest, a handover from Johnson, who was ousted as leader after months of scandal that drained his party's support, will begin on Monday.

The winner of the most votes among Conservative members will be announced on Monday, and the day after, the new prime minister will meet Queen Elizabeth, who will "ask" him to form a government.

In addition to the current cost of living crisis, the new prime minister will also have to tackle a rising number of strikes, long waiting lists in public healthcare, and a court decision expected next month on Scotland's demands for independence.