What Liz Truss has promised to do now she's Prime Minister

Here are the policies Liz Truss' campaign is promising now she's been made prime minister.

The announcement that the 47-year-old would be taking over from Boris Johnson was made at a press conference this afternoon, 5 September.

Truss, who is now the third female prime minister in UK history, defeated Rishi Sunak to the post.

Taking to Twitter shortly after being elected the latest leader of the Conservative Party, Truss not only thanked her followers for 'putting [their] trust in [her] to lead and deliver for our great country', but she also pledged to take 'bold action to get all of us through these tough times, grow our economy, and unleash the United Kingdom's potential'.

But, how is she planning to do that?

One of the first, and greatest, challenges Truss will need to tackle is the cost of living crisis, which has seen inflation hit a 30-year high.

With energy bills set to skyrocket by 65 percent in October, Truss has promised that she will announce some sort of help and support within a week of her becoming prime minister – despite having previously noted her dislike of 'handouts'.

Truss has said she would reverse the rise in National Insurance tax – a move first announced by Sunak and put into place in April this year.

The prime minister has also said she will stop a rise in corporation tax from going ahead, as well as cutting income tax and reducing VAT by five percent – promising a total tax cut of around £30bn. She has said the plans will be paid for by delaying repayments of the national debt that accumulated during the course of the pandemic.

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— James Cleverly🇬🇧 (@JamesCleverly) September 4, 2022

As part of her campaign as prime minister, Truss has promised to build 300,000 new homes in the UK every year.

With it becoming increasingly difficult for first-time buyers to get themselves onto the property ladder, Truss has also said she is seeking to merge mortgage assessments with rental payments.

Truss has also focused in on the educational system and the importance of every child being given 'the best opportunity to succeed'.

The prime minister hopes to introduce more free schools and high-achieving academies.

However, Truss has vowed schools will only have single-sex toilets.

The university system is also set to be reformed, with Oxbridge more easily accessible so that anyone who gets the right grades automatically receives a place and that offers to all universities are no longer based on predicted grades, but the final A-Level results.

"We will deliver, we will deliver, we will deliver."

In her first speech as leader of the Conservative Party, Liz Truss promises "a bold plan" to deal with the energy crisis, fix the NHS, cut taxes and win the next general election. pic.twitter.com/foUTGrSJGZ

— Channel 4 News (@Channel4News) September 5, 2022

In light of the recent soaring temperatures in the UK – a stark indicator of the climate crisis – Truss has vowed that by 2050 the UK will hit net zero.

While she may not like solar farms, having previously called them a 'blight on the landscape', the prime minister's campaign has said she will focus on renewable energy.

She's also set to increase protection for biodiversity and wildlife.

Despite the multiple protests organised by climate activist group Insulate Britain which took place earlier this year, Truss has yet to address tackling energy consumption.

📣 Liz Truss announced as new Prime Minister 📣

We are in the midst of a nature and climate crisis. The next year is of critical importance, and the UK has a crucial role to play.

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— RSPB (@Natures_Voice) September 5, 2022

'Low-tax and low-regulation zones' as well as the scrapping of green 'energy levies' are two other economic policies proposed by Truss.

Truss is also set to address Britain's healthcare system, the NHS.

The 47-year-old has revealed plans to increase funding for better social care, as well as trying to ease the long waiting times, backlog on hospital beds and treatment by making GPs more easily accessible.

She's even mentioned bringing doctors out of retirement to help with the delays.

Improving schools' mental health care has also been highlighted by Truss.

Great news for first time buyers in Norfolk. pic.twitter.com/sXXcEJMWeC

— Liz Truss (@trussliz) November 26, 2017

It's uncertain whether or not Truss might shake up the Northern Ireland Protocol and prioritise Britain's economic recovery by scrapping EU regulations.

Her team hinted she could trigger article 16 within days of her moving into No.10, which 'permits a party to take safeguard measures if the application of the Protocol leads to serious economic, societal or environmental difficulties that are liable to persist, or to diversion of trade'.

However, in eastern Europe, in relation to the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, Truss has reassured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that the country still has Britain's full support.