New Prime Minister: Liz Truss named as new Prime Minister and Conservative Party leader after summer of campaigning

And it’s Liz Truss who will now take the lead for the Conservatives in the wake of Boris Johnson, after party members voted to elect her to the top job at Downing Street.

Mr Johnson confirmed in early July that he would step down as the party’s leader following a raft of resignations from his colleagues in Parliament.

He began his role as PM in 2019 following the departure of Theresa May, and won a general election in December of that year.

Now, it’s for Ms Truss to lead the country through the cost-of-living crisis – and with a tough winter predicted ahead and growing calls for Government intervention to support families with rising household costs, it will be a busy start to her new job.

Speaking as her victory was announced on Monday, September 5, she said: "Thank you for putting your faith in me to lead our great Conservative Party; the greatest political party on earth.

“I know that our beliefs resonate with the British people: our beliefs in freedom, in the ability to control your own life, in low taxes, in personal responsibility.

“I know that’s why people voted for us in such numbers in 2019 and as your party leader I intend to deliver what we promised those voters right across our great country.”

Mr Johnson and the new Prime Minister are expected to travel to Balmoral on Tuesday, September 6 to meet separately with Her Majesty the Queen.

The former will tender his resignation to the monarch, while Ms Truss will be invited to form a new Government in the Queen’s name.

Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the 1922 Committee, announced Ms Truss’s victory at lunchtime on Monday.

She won the leadership contest with 81,326 votes from the Tory membership, to Rishi Sunak’s 60,399.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer took to Twitter as the result was confirmed.

In a tweet, he said: “I'd like to congratulate our next Prime Minister Liz Truss as she prepares for office.

“But after 12 years of the Tories all we have to show for it is low wages, high prices, and a Tory cost of living crisis.

“Only Labour can deliver the fresh start our country needs.”

Meanwhile, former Prime Minister Theresa May tweeted: Congratulations Liz Truss. We Conservatives must now work together to address the challenges facing our country.

"Tackling the cost of living, delivering for those in need and managing the public finances responsibly. I look forward to supporting the government in that task.”

When will there next be a general election in the UK?

As it stands, a general election is not expected to take place in the UK until early in 2025.

The maximum term for a Parliament is five years from the day on which it first met; with the current Parliament meeting for the first time on December 17, 2019 after the election on December 12 of that year.

To that end, Parliament would automatically dissolve on December 17, 2024, unless it’s been dissolved sooner by the Queen.

Polling day would then be expected to take place 25 days after this happens, putting the date of the next election at around January 10 or 11, 2025.