Liz Truss has won the Conservative Party leadership contest and will become the next UK Prime Minister.

Truss beat Rishi Sunak by 81,326 votes to 60,399 as announced by Sir Graham Brady, the chair of the Conservative 1922 committee.

Former Chancellor Sunak had the most support among Conservative MPs but when it came to the final round where the party membership voted, around 180,000 people, Truss was the clear winner.

Truss immediately succeeds Boris Johnson as Tory leader.

She will travel to Balmoral to meet the Queen tomorrow and after Boris Johnson officially resigns, will become Prime Minister.

Truss, Foreign Secretary under Boris Johnson, and MP for South West Norfolk will become the fourth Prime Minister in six years since the Brexit referendum in 2016.

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After David Cameron resigned, Theresa May took over before her inability to get a Brexit deal through the House of Commons. She resigned to be replaced by Boris Johnson.

After winning a large majority in 2019 and being the Prime Minister during the covid pandemic and lockdowns, Johnson was finally forced to resign after around 50 ministerial resignations following his handling of complaints of sexual harassment involving the Tory chief whip.

One of the first tasks for Liz Truss is expected to be to announce a cost of living crisis package this week.

She will then appoint a new cabinet with a reshuffle of top posts expected.

There are expected to be key jobs for supporters Kwasi Kwarteng and Suella Braverman, who was knocked out early in the Tory leadership contest.

Following the announcement Truss, said: "It's an honour to be elected leader of Conservative and Unionist Party."

She paid tribute to Boris Johnson, who she said rolled out the vaccine and stood up to Vladimir Putin.

She added: "You are admired from Kyiv to Carlisle."

Truss said:  "As your party leader I intend to deliver what we promised those voters across our great country.

"I campaigned as a Conservative and I will govern as a Conservative.

"We need to show we will deliver over the next two years."

She said she would "Cut taxes and grow the economy".

The new leader said she would deal with the energy crisis and energy bills.