Liz Truss is set to be confirmed as the new British prime minister after a lengthy and intense leadership contest against former chancellor Rishi Sunak. But the UK faces significant economic problems this autumn that might leave the new PM wishing she hadn’t fought so hard for the job.
Truss appealed to the members of the Conservative party – the people eligible to vote in the contest – thanks to the simplicity of her message: she promised to cut taxes, get rid of EU laws, reverse the national insurance increase and put a moratorium on the green energy levy, which sees consumers paying part of their energy bill towards environmental projects.
Her immediate period in office, however, is unlikely to be simple. The two most pressing issues facing the country are high inflation and high energy prices. Even though the rise in the price of energy is the largest contributor to inflation, the two problems are not identical and will require different responses.
