Liz Truss has been elected as the new leader of the Conservative Party and tomorrow will go to the Queen and be asked to become the new Prime Minster.
The former foreign secretary beat rival and former Chancellor Rishi Sunak to the position by a majority of just over 21,000 votes from members of the Conservative Party.
She has pledged to unveil a vast support package to deal with surging energy costs, with her team discussing plans for a gas and electricity price freeze with industry leaders.
She has pledged to move rapidly to set out a new economic policy. and reveal her energy support package within the next week.
Responding to the announcement of Liz Truss as the new Prime Minster, Marco Forgione, Director General of the Institute of Export & International Trade, said : “On behalf of the Institute of Export & International Trade 7000 members and our wider community of over 30,000 businesses. I congratulate Liz Truss on her victory on becoming the British prime minister.
It is great to have an incoming Prime Minister with such a strong background in international trade. The progress made on Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) under her tenure as Secretary of State for International Trade was significant. That trade was also integral to the development policy she pursued as Foreign Secretary sent a strong message to the World that the UK is first and foremost a trading nation and a dedicated and committed ally.
She takes over during what is a particularly challenging and turbulent economic period. We want to see an export led recovery that ensures that UK businesses have the tools, the skills, the knowledge and the expertise to seize the opportunities that arise through international trade.
In particular we would like to see the government establish an MSME task force a micro small and medium enterprise which will look to provide immediate help and support on issues such as the rising cost of fuel and energy.
We stand ready to support her in any way that we can.”
Commenting on the announcement, Clive Wratten, CEO of the Business Travel Association, said: “The BTA welcomes Liz Truss to the role of Prime Minister and wishes her success in the role. This is a grave time for our country and we urge the Prime Minister to be innovative in tackling the challenges ahead. Work with industries such as travel, transport and hospitality to get Britain thriving again.
We look forward to working with your new team and making the case for business travel’s vital contribution to our economy.”