Successors to Johnson seek to stand out in crowded UK field

British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has promised to “start cutting taxes from day one” to help with the cost of living as she launched her campaign to be the country’s next prime minister.

She becomes the tenth candidate to launch their campaign to replace Boris Johnson, following an announcement from trade minister Penny Mordaunt earlier on Sunday.

Candidates have released slick campaign videos on social media and appeared on Sunday morning political talk shows to make their cases to the public.

In beginning her campaign, Truss argued “it isn’t right to be putting up taxes now”, and as leader she would take “immediate action” to assist with living costs.

The Foreign Secretary said she would “get the private sector growing faster than the public sector, with a long-term plan to bring down the size of the state and the tax burden”.

Writing in The Telegraph, she said: “Under my leadership, I would start cutting taxes from day one to take immediate action to help people deal with the cost of living.

“I would reverse the national insurance increase that came in during April, make sure we keep corporation tax competitive so we can attract business and investment into Britain, and put the Covid debt on a longer-term footing.”

Truss said her plan would get the country back on track towards becoming a “high-growth and high-productivity powerhouse”.

Meanwhile, former health secretaries Sajid Javid and Jeremy Hunt joined one of the most open leadership races in recent history late on Saturday.

Johnson was brought down by a series of scandals, the most recent involving his decision to promote an MP who had been accused of sexual misconduct to a senior position in his government.

Party officials are expected to lay out the rules for the leadership contest on Monday, with news reports suggesting that Conservative lawmakers will narrow the field to two before Parliament breaks for its summer recess on July 21.

Party members around the country will then vote on the final choice before the end of August, the Times of London reported.

Johnson has said he will remain prime minister until his successor is chosen. But many want him to go now, with even some Conservative politicians worried that he could do mischief even as a caretaker prime minister.