Liz Truss

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Liz Truss
Official portrait, 2022
Liz Truss
BornMary Elizabeth Truss
26 7, 1975
BirthplaceOxford, England
NationalityBritish
OccupationPolitician
Known forShortest-serving Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
EducationMerton College, Oxford (MA)
Children2
AwardsFirst female Lord Chancellor

Mary Elizabeth "Liz" Truss (born 26 July 1975) is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from September to October 2022. Her premiership lasted just fifty days before she resigned amid a government crisis, making her the shortest-serving prime minister in British history.[1] Truss served as the Member of Parliament for South West Norfolk from 2010 to 2024 and held a series of Cabinet positions under three successive Conservative prime ministers—David Cameron, Theresa May, and Boris Johnson—culminating in her appointment as Foreign Secretary from 2021 to 2022.[2] Earlier in her career, Truss served as Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and as Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice—becoming the first woman to hold the latter office in its thousand-year history.[3] Before entering politics, Truss studied philosophy, politics and economics at Merton College, Oxford, and worked in the private sector and at the think tank Reform.

Early Life

Mary Elizabeth Truss was born on 26 July 1975 in Oxford, England. Her father, John Truss, was a professor of mathematics.[1] She grew up in a left-leaning household; her parents held political views that differed substantially from the conservatism she would later espouse.[4]

Truss spent part of her childhood in Paisley, Scotland, and later in Leeds, where she attended Roundhay School, a state comprehensive. Her upbringing in state education and her family's political leanings would later become notable biographical details that she referenced throughout her political career, frequently contrasting her background with the private-school education of many Conservative colleagues.[4]

As a young person, Truss developed an interest in politics and public policy. She was politically active from her university years onward, though her early political allegiance was not to the Conservative Party. During her time at Oxford, Truss was a member of the Liberal Democrats and served as president of the Oxford University Liberal Democrats. In 1994, while still a student, she spoke at the Liberal Democrat conference, where she called for the abolition of the monarchy.[1] This period of Liberal Democrat activism would later be raised by political opponents and commentators as evidence of ideological flexibility.

In 1996, Truss switched her political allegiance and joined the Conservative Party. She has described her political evolution as a journey toward free-market economics and individual liberty, themes that would come to define her political career and her approach to governance.[1]

Education

Truss attended Merton College, Oxford, where she read Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE), one of the university's most prestigious degree programmes and a common pathway for aspiring British politicians.[1] She graduated with a Master of Arts degree.[2] During her time at Oxford, Truss was active in student politics, serving as president of the Oxford University Liberal Democrats before her later conversion to the Conservative Party.[1]

Career

Early Career and Think Tank Work

After graduating from Oxford, Truss entered the private sector. She worked as an economist and accountant at Royal Dutch Shell and subsequently at Cable & Wireless, gaining experience in commercial and economic analysis.[1] She later moved into the policy sphere, serving as deputy director of Reform, a centre-right think tank focused on public-service reform and economic liberalisation.[1]

During this period, Truss developed and refined her commitment to free-market economics, deregulation, and supply-side reform—positions that would underpin her subsequent parliamentary career and her approach to government. Her work at Reform brought her into contact with a network of Conservative-aligned policy thinkers and politicians.

Parliamentary Selection and Election

Truss made two unsuccessful attempts to enter the House of Commons before winning a seat. Her path to selection was not without controversy; reports from the period indicated friction within local Conservative associations regarding her candidacy. In one instance, she was described as having been "dumped" as a candidate, with allegations of sexism within the selection process.[5]

Truss was ultimately selected as the Conservative candidate for South West Norfolk, a safe Conservative seat in eastern England. She won the constituency at the 2010 general election, succeeding Christopher Fraser as MP.[2]

Backbencher and Free Enterprise Advocate

As a newly elected backbench MP, Truss quickly established a reputation as a vocal advocate for economic reform, deregulation, and free-market policies. She co-founded the Free Enterprise Group, a caucus of Conservative MPs who promoted low taxation, reduced regulation, and greater economic freedom.[1]

Truss co-authored or contributed to several publications and policy papers during this period. She was one of the authors of Britannia Unchained (2012), a book co-written with fellow Conservative MPs including Kwasi Kwarteng, Priti Patel, Dominic Raab, and Chris Skidmore. The book argued for radical economic reform and was notable for its controversial assertion that British workers were among the "worst idlers in the world." Truss also co-wrote After the Coalition, which set out a vision for Conservative governance beyond the coalition with the Liberal Democrats.[1]

In Parliament, Truss called for reforms in several policy areas, including the economy, childcare, and mathematics education. Her contributions in the House of Commons during this period are recorded in Hansard.[6] Her advocacy on education issues, particularly in mathematics standards and early-years provision, laid the groundwork for her first ministerial appointment.

Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Childcare and Education (2012–2014)

In September 2012, Truss was appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Childcare and Education under Prime Minister David Cameron. In this role, she pursued a reformist agenda focused on deregulation of the childcare sector.[7]

In January 2013, Truss announced proposals to relax childcare restrictions, including plans to allow childminders and nursery staff to look after more children per adult. The proposals aimed to reduce childcare costs by increasing capacity, drawing on comparisons with systems in countries such as France and the Netherlands.[8] However, the reforms attracted fierce criticism from childcare professionals, trade unions, and some within the coalition government, who argued that increasing adult-to-child ratios could compromise the quality and safety of care.[9] Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg ultimately blocked the ratio changes, and the policy was not implemented in full.

Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (2014–2016)

In July 2014, Cameron promoted Truss to Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), making her a full member of the Cabinet. Her appointment was noted for bringing a younger, media-savvy figure into a department that had been relatively low-profile.[4]

Her tenure at Defra was marked by controversy over environmental issues, particularly regarding the protection of pollinating insects. In November 2014, Truss was criticised by environmental campaigners for her approach to bee protection, with questions raised about whether the government was doing enough to safeguard pollinator populations.[10] In July 2015, under Truss's leadership, the UK government suspended a ban on neonicotinoid pesticides that had been linked to serious harm to bees and other pollinators, a decision that drew condemnation from environmental groups and scientists.[11] Research had previously linked such pesticides to honeybee decline.[12]

During the 2016 EU membership referendum campaign, Truss supported the Remain side, arguing that continued EU membership was beneficial for British agriculture and trade. Following the Leave vote, however, she accepted the result and subsequently became a supporter of Brexit.[1]

Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice (2016–2017)

Following David Cameron's resignation in July 2016 after the EU referendum, his successor, Theresa May, appointed Truss as Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice. The appointment was historic: Truss became the first woman to serve as Lord Chancellor in the office's approximately thousand-year history.[3] Her appointment prompted discussion about gender and the legal profession, with some commentators noting both the symbolic significance and questions about whether she had sufficient legal experience for the role.[13]

Truss's time at the Ministry of Justice coincided with significant challenges in the prison system. Reports highlighted rising violence in prisons, which was linked to substantial staff cuts implemented by the ministry in preceding years.[14] In response, Truss announced a recruitment drive to bring 2,500 new prison officers into the system in England and Wales to tackle the violence crisis.[15]

In November 2016, Truss faced criticism for her response to newspaper front pages that described High Court judges as "enemies of the people" after their ruling in the Miller case on parliamentary approval for triggering Article 50. As Lord Chancellor, Truss had a constitutional duty to uphold the independence of the judiciary, and her perceived slowness in defending the judges drew censure from legal professionals and opposition politicians.[16]

Chief Secretary to the Treasury (2017–2019)

Following the 2017 general election, in which the Conservatives lost their parliamentary majority, Truss was moved from the Ministry of Justice to the position of Chief Secretary to the Treasury. The move was characterised by some commentators as a demotion.[1] In this role, she was responsible for public expenditure control and departmental spending reviews within the Treasury under Chancellor Philip Hammond.

Truss served as Chief Secretary until July 2019, when Theresa May resigned as Conservative leader and prime minister. During the subsequent leadership contest, Truss supported Boris Johnson's successful bid for the leadership.[1]

Secretary of State for International Trade and Minister for Women and Equalities (2019–2021)

Upon becoming prime minister in July 2019, Johnson appointed Truss as Secretary of State for International Trade and President of the Board of Trade. In September 2019, she was additionally appointed Minister for Women and Equalities, holding both portfolios simultaneously.[1]

As International Trade Secretary during the post-Brexit period, Truss was responsible for negotiating and securing trade agreements with countries outside the European Union. She oversaw the signing of continuity agreements with a number of nations and pursued new trade deals, including with Japan and Australia. Her work in this area raised her public profile within the Conservative Party and among free-trade advocates.

Foreign Secretary (2021–2022)

In the September 2021 Cabinet reshuffle, Johnson promoted Truss to Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, succeeding Dominic Raab.[1] As Foreign Secretary, Truss led negotiations on the Northern Ireland Protocol, a contentious aspect of the Brexit withdrawal agreement governing trade arrangements between Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom.

Truss also played a prominent role in shaping the British government's response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, coordinating with international allies on sanctions against Russia and support for Ukraine. Her handling of the Ukraine crisis and her robust public stance on Russian aggression increased her standing within the Conservative Party.[1]

Prime Minister (September–October 2022)

In the summer of 2022, Boris Johnson resigned as Conservative leader and prime minister following a government crisis. Truss entered the subsequent leadership election and defeated Rishi Sunak in a ballot of Conservative Party members in September 2022.[1]

Truss was appointed prime minister by Queen Elizabeth II on 6 September 2022, just two days before the monarch's death on 8 September. Government business was subsequently suspended during a national mourning period of ten days.[1]

Upon resuming active governance, Truss's administration moved quickly to address the rising cost of living and increased energy prices, announcing the Energy Price Guarantee, which sought to cap household energy bills. The government, under Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng, then introduced a fiscal statement—commonly termed the "mini-budget"—on 23 September 2022. The mini-budget announced significant unfunded tax cuts, including the abolition of the 45p top rate of income tax, reductions in stamp duty, and the reversal of a planned increase in corporation tax.[1]

The market reaction was swift and severe. The pound sterling fell to a record low against the US dollar, and gilt yields surged, causing turmoil in the bond markets and threatening the stability of pension funds that relied on liability-driven investment strategies. The Bank of England was compelled to intervene with emergency bond-buying operations to restore market stability. The crisis led to a sharp increase in mortgage rates and widespread economic uncertainty.[1]

Under intense pressure, the government reversed the abolition of the 45p tax rate within days. Kwarteng was dismissed as Chancellor on 14 October 2022, just 38 days into the government, and replaced by Jeremy Hunt, who reversed almost all of the remaining mini-budget measures. Truss's authority within the government and the parliamentary party had been fatally undermined.[1]

On 20 October 2022, Truss announced her resignation as Conservative leader, effective once a successor was chosen. She formally left office on 25 October 2022, after just 50 days as prime minister—the shortest tenure in British history.[1] She was succeeded by Rishi Sunak.

Post-Premiership

Following her departure from Downing Street, Truss remained the MP for South West Norfolk until the 2024 general election, when she lost her seat to Labour's Terry Jermy.[1]

After leaving Parliament, Truss maintained a public profile, engaging with conservative and right-leaning political movements internationally. In November 2025, she was reported to have embarked on a speaking tour in the United States, addressing audiences aligned with the MAGA movement and appearing at events associated with American conservatism.[17]

In January 2026, Truss attended a private lunch with Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, at a Mayfair club, an event reported to have been funded by a US-based think tank. The meeting took place during a week marked by defections from the Conservative Party to Reform UK.[18]

In February 2026, Truss posted a photograph of herself meeting US President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago, which attracted widespread media attention and commentary. Reports indicated that it was unclear how the meeting had been initiated or how long it had lasted.[19] Truss and Boris Johnson were also reported to have lobbied Trump to block the Chagos deal negotiated by the Starmer government.[20]

Personal Life

Truss was born Mary Elizabeth Truss in Oxford, England. Her father, John Truss, was a mathematics professor.[1] She has two children.[2] Details of her personal life have generally been kept out of the public spotlight, though her background as a product of state education and a left-leaning family has been frequently discussed in the context of her political career.[4]

Her political activities are tracked by parliamentary monitoring services, including TheyWorkForYou, which records her voting record and parliamentary contributions.[21]

Recognition

Truss's appointment as Lord Chancellor in July 2016 was a landmark event, making her the first woman to hold the position in its history stretching back approximately a thousand years.[3] The appointment was noted both for its historical significance and for the debate it prompted about gender representation in senior legal and political offices.[22]

As the third woman to serve as prime minister of the United Kingdom—after Margaret Thatcher and Theresa May—Truss's brief tenure attracted extensive media coverage and public commentary. Her 50-day premiership, the shortest in British history, became a defining feature of her public identity, generating significant cultural commentary, including the widely reported "lettuce" comparison by a tabloid newspaper that asked whether Truss could outlast the shelf life of a head of lettuce.[1]

Truss's publications, particularly Britannia Unchained, have continued to be referenced in discussions of Conservative economic policy and the intellectual currents within the party's free-market wing.[1]

Legacy

Truss's premiership is defined by its brevity and the economic turbulence that accompanied her government's fiscal policies. The September 2022 mini-budget and its aftermath are cited in analyses of fiscal policy, market confidence, and the constraints on government economic action. The episode demonstrated the speed with which financial markets could react to and constrain fiscal policy decisions, and it prompted broader debate about the relationship between government spending commitments, unfunded tax reductions, and market stability.[1]

Her tenure as Lord Chancellor remains a noted milestone in British legal and political history, as the first time a woman held the position. Her career trajectory—from Liberal Democrat student activist to Conservative prime minister—has been discussed as illustrative of the ideological shifts possible within the British political class.[4][1]

The economic consequences of the mini-budget had lasting effects on the Conservative Party's electoral standing. The loss of economic credibility contributed to the party's subsequent decline in opinion polls and is considered by analysts to have been a factor in the Conservative defeat at the 2024 general election, in which Truss herself lost her parliamentary seat.[1]

Following her departure from Parliament, Truss's engagement with American conservative movements and her continued advocacy for free-market economic policies have positioned her as a figure at the intersection of British and American right-wing politics, though her influence within the Conservative Party itself has diminished.[23]

References

  1. ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 1.21 1.22 1.23 1.24 1.25 1.26 1.27 1.28 "Liz Truss".Encyclopædia Britannica.https://www.britannica.com/biography/Liz-Truss.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "Elizabeth Truss".UK Parliament.https://www.parliament.uk/biographies/commons/elizabeth-truss/4097.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Liz Truss becomes first ever female lord chancellor".The Guardian.2016-07-21.https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/jul/21/liz-truss-first-ever-female-lord-chancellor-justice-secretary.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 "Liz Truss: media personality with unconventional schooling joins Tory top table".The Guardian.2014-07-15.https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/jul/15/liz-truss-media-personality-schooling-tory-conservative.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  5. ↑ "Dumped candidate blames old Tory sexism".The Daily Telegraph.https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1480977/Dumped-candidate-blames-old-Tory-sexism.html.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  6. ↑ "Member contributions: Elizabeth Truss".UK Parliament (Hansard).https://hansard.parliament.uk/search/MemberContributions?memberId=4097.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  7. ↑ "Education".BBC News.2012-06-25.https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-18522634.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  8. ↑ "Childcare restrictions relaxed, minister announces".The Guardian.2013-01-29.https://www.theguardian.com/money/2013/jan/29/childcare-restrictions-relaxed-minister-announces.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  9. ↑ "Childcare reform proposals meet fierce criticism".The Guardian.2013-01-29.https://www.theguardian.com/money/2013/jan/29/childcare-reform-proposals-fierce-criticism.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  10. ↑ "UK government criticised over bee protection".The Guardian.2014-11-04.https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/nov/04/bees-uk-protect-liz-truss-pollinating-lawnmower.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  11. ↑ "UK suspends ban on pesticides linked to serious harm to bees".The Guardian.2015-07-23.https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/jul/23/uk-suspends-ban-pesticides-linked-serious-harm-bees.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  12. ↑ "Crop pesticides linked to honeybee decline".The Guardian.2012-03-29.https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2012/mar/29/crop-pesticides-honeybee-decline.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  13. ↑ "Row over Liz Truss: sexism, gender and the law".The Guardian.2016-07-25.https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/jul/25/row-over-liz-truss-sexism-gender-law-lord-chancellor.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  14. ↑ "Prison violence linked to staff cuts".The Guardian.2016-10-27.https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/oct/27/prison-violence-staff-cuts-moj-deaths-assaults.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  15. ↑ "Prisons in England and Wales given boost of 2,500 new staff to tackle violence".The Guardian.2016-11-02.https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/nov/02/prisons-in-england-and-wales-given-boost-of-2500-new-staff-to-tackle-violence.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  16. ↑ "Liz Truss rebuffs criticism over newspaper attacks on Brexit judges".The Guardian.2016-11-10.https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/nov/10/liz-truss-rebuffs-criticism-over-newspaper-attacks-on-brexit-judges/.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  17. ↑ "'I Never Heard of Her': Liz Truss Hits the MAGA Speaking Trail".Politico.2025-11-20.https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2025/11/20/magas-british-invasion-00660033.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  18. ↑ "Red meat, no lettuce: Nigel Farage and Liz Truss attend private lunch after week of Tory defections".The Guardian.2026-01-24.https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/jan/24/farage-truss-lunch-funded-by-climate-denying-us-thinktank.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  19. ↑ "'Right about everything': Liz Truss tweets photo of meeting with Trump".The Guardian.2026-02-15.https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/feb/15/liz-truss-tweets-photo-of-her-and-trump-at-mar-a-lago.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  20. ↑ "Boris Johnson and Liz Truss 'lobbied Trump to block Starmer's Chagos deal'".The Independent.2026-02-20.https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/boris-johnson-liz-truss-chagos-deal-donald-trump-b2924588.html.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  21. ↑ "Elizabeth Truss".TheyWorkForYou.https://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/elizabeth_truss.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  22. ↑ "Row over Liz Truss: sexism, gender and the law".The Guardian.2016-07-25.https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/jul/25/row-over-liz-truss-sexism-gender-law-lord-chancellor.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  23. ↑ "'I Never Heard of Her': Liz Truss Hits the MAGA Speaking Trail".Politico.2025-11-20.https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2025/11/20/magas-british-invasion-00660033.Retrieved 2026-02-24.

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