London – Outgoing British Prime Minister Liz Truss says brighter days lie ahead, as she made her final speech as leader outside her Downing Street office on Tuesday.
“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,” Truss said. She then travelled to see King Charles and formally resign.
Truss wished her replacement, Rishi Sunak, every success in the job, and stressed that she still believed in the high growth, low-tax ideology that she attempted to pursue in office.
“From my time as prime minister, I am more convinced than ever, that we need to be bold and confront the challenges that we face,” Truss said, before invoking Roman philosopher Seneca.
“It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare. It is because we do not dare that they are difficult.”
Truss was Britain’s shortest serving prime minister. Sunak will formally replace her as British leader later on Tuesday.
Sunak has said the country faces a “profound economic challenge”, after being chosen by the ruling Conservative party to lead the country. He is set to be appointed prime minister by King Charles later on Tuesday.
The sterling rose on Tuesday, supported by improved risk sentiment as Rishi Sunak prepared to become Britain’s prime minister, while the euro steadied ahead of an expected rate hike by the European Central Bank (ECB) on Thursday.
The US dollar edged up but was not far from its lowest level in October, amid signs Federal Reserve rate hikes are slowing the world’s biggest economy.
