UK to announce new PM: Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak?

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The competition for the Tory leadership race in the United Kingdom has entered its final stage, with the country being hours away from finding out who the next Conservative leader and Prime Minister will be.

The British Conservatives have to choose between Foreign Minister Liz Truss and former Finance Minister Rishi Sunak, both of whom are running to lead the country with a deteriorating economy going through its highest inflation rate in 40 years.

After a two-month contest that saw the two final competitors engage in heated exchanges in televised debates, the results will be announced at 12:30 pm BST on Monday before the outgoing PM Johnson formally tenders his resignation to Queen Elizabeth II the following day.

The UK industry sector is growing more and more optimistic as it is expected that the incoming premier will back plans to limit energy prices, mainly domestic gas and electricity prices determined every three months by the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem), which would not require financing from the government from the get-go.

The opposition parties - Labour, the Liberal Democrats, and the Scottish National Party - have called on London to limit energy prices through subsidies that would cost billions of pounds sterling. The Greens, on the other hand, suggest that the UK nationalize its five biggest suppliers.

Truss, the candidate leading the polls, pledged to announce her plans for consumer protection within a week of taking over - if she assumes the premiership. She also plans to offer tax cuts of around £30 billion through an emergency budget she plans to announce later in the month. However, critics note those would do nothing to benefit the poorest.

In the midst of a global climate crisis, Truss said she would "temporarily" suspend green taxation on energy bills as well as lower the National Insurance introduced during Johnson's term.

Truss admitted that reversing the National Insurance rise would be highly beneficial for those earning a lot of money, accompanying this with a justification that this would benefit the economy as a whole.

Sunak, on the other hand, pledged payments of £15 billion as chancellor, including payment of £400 for all UK households, though neither contender said they would require support after the projections of their plans' costs rose throughout the summer.

Ballots in the Conservative party leadership election closed Friday at 5:00 pm (16:00 GMT), with Liz Truss widely expected to win the premiership. Not many are speculating that Sunak will assume the premiership.

Just as the vote on the UK’s next prime minister drew to a close, a group of British climate activists entered the UK Parliament and superglued themselves to the speaker’s chair to call for more inclusive decision-making.

Extinction Rebellion said some 50 people rallied at the House of Commons to demand that Westminster give power back to the people amid the deepening cost-of-living crisis and environmental destruction.

Last week, supporters of the environmental campaign Just Stop Oil blocked three service stations on the M25, a major road that encircles the majority of Greater London, in their second day of action this week in a bid to force the hand of the British government to end new projects revolving around oil and gas extraction and pumping.

On foreign policy, though they are going head to head, Truss and Sunak seem to see eye to eye on Russia. Truss underlined that she would adhere to her predecessor's policies if she were to take the premiership.

"The flame of freedom in Ukraine [will continue] to burn bright", if she wins, stressing that "under my leadership, President Zelensky will have no greater ally."

She has several times accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of "barbarism" and pledged not to allow him to win in Ukraine.

Sunak, on the other hand, called for Putin to be disallowed from attending the G20 summit in Indonesia in November, citing what he said was "abhorrent behavior [...] [Putin] doesn't have a seat at the table unless and until he stops his illegal was in Ukraine."

"[I will] redouble... efforts and reinforce our policy of total support for Ukraine," Sunak vowed.

Outgoing Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that he would step down after a slew of resignations hit his government in July in protest of his leadership. He will, however, stay as Prime Minister until a replacement is found.

Sunak's resignation as Finance Minister this month helped to topple outgoing leader Boris Johnson after months of scandal, including "Partygate".

At his last session of Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons, Johnson bowed out by saying "Hasta la vista, baby!"