UK Europe CU- Liz Truss is set to become Britain’s 56th Prime Minister and the 3rd female prime minister following Margaret Thatcher who was sworn in back in 1979 and Theresa May, who was sworn in back in July, 2016. Liz Truss secured 81,325 votes (57.3%) beating Rishi Sunak who secured 60,399 votes (42.6%).
As Truss takes up the job as Prime Minister, she faces many tough challenges with rising inflation and other post pandemic woes, however the most pressing issue at hand is the energy crisis with winter season approaching, and many struggling households who may have to decide if they have to do without eating to get their heating.
With energy prices expected to go up at least 80% a new campaign is currently underway titled Don’t Pay UK. The campaign was initiated by a group of volunteers and have encouraged the British public to pledge not to pay their energy bills from October 1st if prices are not reduced and they have currently secured 169,447 and growing according to the campaign’s website. Energy prices have been soaring across the world driven by many different factors such as the Russia-Ukraine are and the current hostility between Russia and west which has not just impacted energy prices but also food prices. Inflation which followed the pandemic which devastated many small businesses has also put pressure on wide sections of British and global societies and campaigns such as Don’t Pay UK are likely to emerge in many other parts of the world with smuggling households.
One of the ways Liz Truss has pledged to tackle the crisis is a freeze for energy bills which she mentioned in her victory speech stating that she will deliver on the energy crisis and deal with people’s energy bills and also on long term energy issues. The £100bn plan will pave the way for energy companies to rapidly bring down energy bills.
