Truss hasn’t a second to lose as crunch bites

FOR the 15th time in her reign, the Queen yesterday invited a new Prime Minister to assume control of her Government.

Over 70 years she has risen above the sound, fury and petty rivalries of political life to ensure the smooth transition of power.

The so-called ‘kissing of hands’ may be a ritual. But in its longevity and symbolism, it is also a powerful advertisement for the strength of our constitutional monarchy.

For liz Truss, it marks the beginning of a daunting challenge – to guide the country through the worst cost of living crisis in nearly half a century.

There are many other onerous tests ahead, but this is by far the most pressing.

in Downing Street, Miss Truss made clear that she understood the urgency of the situation. Channelling the wartime spirit of Winston Churchill, she promised: ‘Action this day… and action every day.’

if the Tories are to stay in power at the next general election, she hasn’t a second to waste in improving people’s lives.

By vowing to cut taxes and slash red tape, she aims to get Britain ‘working, building and growing’ better. To help protect families from ruinous energy costs, bills will be frozen at about £2,500 for two winters.

This radical, if distinctly unTory, intervention will, it’s true, worsen Britain’s already horrendous debt mountain.

But it promises to spare millions from penury at a fraction of the sum spent on bank bailouts after the financial crash.

This crisis is, lest we forget, global, caused by the aftermath of Covid and exacerbated by Putin’s evil invasion of Ukraine.

Yet throughout our history, determined and courageous Britain has survived much more intimidating ordeals than this economic chaos. As Miss Truss rightly says: ‘Together we can ride out this storm.’