‘Brighter days lie ahead’: Liz Truss makes final statement as prime minister

Liz Truss has left Downing Street for the last time as prime minister after delivering a final speech outside No 10.

The outgoing leader, the shortest serving in British history, spoke of the “huge honour” of leading the country and being a part of the mourning of the Queen and the accession of King Charles.

She will meet the King at Buckingham Palace this morning to officially tender her resignation.

In her speech, Truss said her government had acted “urgently and decisively” in the face of a financial crisis.

She celebrated reversing the national insurance increase imposed by her successor, Rishi Sunak, when he was chancellor.

“From my time as Prime Minister I’m more convinced than ever that we need to be bold and confront the challenges we face,” she said.

“We simply cannot afford to be a low growth country where the Government takes up an increasing share of our national wealth and where there are huge divides between different parts of our country. We need to take advantage of our Brexit freedoms to do things differently.

“This means delivering more freedom for our own citizens and restoring power for our democratic institutions.

“It means lower taxes so people can keep more of the money they earn. And it means delivering growth that will lead to more job security, higher wages and more opportunities for our children and grandchildren.”

Truss also quoted Roman philosopher Seneca, saying: “From my time as prime minister, I’m more convinced than ever that we need to be bold and confront the challenges that we face.

“As the Roman philosopher Seneca wrote, it’s not because things are difficult that we do not dare, it’s because we do not dare that they are difficult.

“We simply cannot afford to be a low-growth country where the government takes up an increasing share of our national wealth and where there are huge divides between different parts of our country.”

She concluded by saying Britain can look forward to “brighter days” ahead after the current economic difficulties.

She wished Rishi Sunak “every success for the good of our country”, adding: “Our country continues to battle through a storm but I believe in Britain. I believe in the British people and I know that brighter days lie ahead.”

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Truss was applauded by those gathered outside Number 11, including Deputy Prime Minister Therese Coffey, as she finished her speech and departed from Number 10.

She proceeded with her husband Hugh O’Leary and two daughters, who had watched her speech from behind her outside Number 10.

Truss left with a police escort to meet the King at Buckingham Palace.

During her speech, the song I Predict a Riot by Kaiser Chiefs was played by someone outside the Downing Street gates.

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Before her statement outside the front door of No10, Truss told her Cabinet they had “secured some significant achievements” during her short spell in charge.

Downing Street said: “The Prime Minister opened Cabinet by thanking ministers for their support.

“She said that in the short time the Government had been in place they had secured some significant achievements.

“The Prime Minister concluded by saying her time in the role had been a huge privilege and that her successor will have her support as they now build on the important steps already taken by Cabinet to support the country.”

Sunak will be appointed as the country’s next prime minister by the King shortly after Truss visits Buckingham Palace to officially resign.

He’ll look to build a new Cabinet that might unite a fractious Tory party having taken the reins as leader without a vote after rivals Penny Mordaunt and Boris Johnson dropped out.

Allies hope he will stabilise the party following Johnson’s dramatic downfall and his successor’s tumultuous tenure spanning only six weeks.

Liz Truss’s full speech

It has been a huge honour to be Prime Minister of this great country.

In particular, to lead the nation in mourning the death of Her Late Majesty The Queen after 70 years of service, and welcoming the accession of His Majesty King Charles III.

In just a short period, this government has acted urgently and decisively on the side of hardworking families and businesses.

We reversed the National Insurance increase.

We helped millions of households with their energy bills and helped thousands of businesses avoid bankruptcy.

We are taking back our energy independence… so we are never again beholden to global market fluctuations or malign foreign powers.

From my time as Prime Minister, I am more convinced than ever we need to be bold and confront the challenges that we face.

As the Roman philosopher Seneca wrote: “It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare. It is because we do not dare that they are difficult.”

We simply cannot afford to be a low growth country where the government takes up an increasing share of our national wealth…and where there are huge divides between different parts of our country.

We need to take advantage of our Brexit freedoms to do things differently.

This means delivering more freedom for our own citizens and restoring power in democratic institutions.

It means lower taxes, so people keep more of the money they earn.

It means delivering growth that will lead to more job security, higher wages and greater opportunities for our children and grandchildren.

Democracies must be able to deliver for their own people…

We must be able to outcompete autocratic regimes, where power lies in the hands of a few.

And now more than ever we must support Ukraine in their brave fight against Putin’s aggression.

Ukraine must prevail.

And we must continue to strengthen our nation’s defences.

That is what I have been striving to achieve… and I wish Rishi Sunak every success, for the good of our country.

I want to thank Hugh, Frances, Liberty, my family and friends, and all the team at No10 for their love, friendship and support.

I also want to thank my protection team.

I look forward to spending more time in my constituency, and continuing to serve South West Norfolk from the backbenches.

Our country continues to battle through a storm.

But I believe in Britain.

I believe in the British people.

And I know that brighter days lie ahead.