Summary

  • Liz Truss is appointing her new cabinet hours after becoming prime minister

  • Kwasi Kwarteng has been named chancellor, James Cleverly is foreign secretary and Suella Braverman is home secretary

  • For the first time, not a single white man will occupy one of the "great offices of state" - PM, home secretary, foreign secretary and chancellor

  • Therese Coffey is the new health secretary and deputy PM, Jacob Rees-Mogg becomes business secretary and Kemi Badenoch is international trade secretary

  • Earlier Truss said that her government would "transform Britain into an aspiration nation" and that "together we can ride out the storm"

  • She is under pressure to tackle spiralling energy costs - and is expected to announce a package within days

  • The BBC understands the annual price cap on household energy bills could be capped at around £2,500 - costing the government billions

  1. The lectern has been placed in Downing Streetpublished at 07:11 British Summer Time 6 September 2022

    David Wallace Lockhart
    BBC political correspondent

    The lectern in place in Downing Street

    The lectern is now out in Downing Street, which should mean Boris Johnson’s appearance isn’t too far away.

    Cabinet colleagues - including Nadine Dorries and Grant Shapps - have been spotted in and around Downing Street. As have some family members.

    I think it’s likely that Mr Johnson will have a group of supporters standing by him as he makes his final speech.

  2. Nearly 140 years since last PM appointed at Balmoralpublished at 06:56 British Summer Time 6 September 2022

    Nicholas Witchell
    BBC royal correspondent

    Balmoral CastleImage source, Getty Images

    It's been nearly 140 years since the last prime minister had to make the journey all the way up to the Scottish Highlands to be appointed.

    That was in 1885. The PM then was Lord Salisbury, the monarch of course was Queen Victoria. It took several days for all the travelling.

    Today it should be much quicker. The outgoing PM Boris Johnson will arrive here at around 11:30 having been driven from Aberdeen. He will tender his resignation to the Queen in the drawing room of Balmoral Castle.

    Then shortly after midday, having been driven again the 45 miles from Aberdeen, the incoming PM Liz Truss will meet the Queen in the drawing room. She will be invited to form a new government, and from that point she will be PM.

    The whole ceremony is known as the kissing of hands. In fact, there is no kissing, merely a handshake. And with that she will then return to London as PM to begin work.

  3. Good morning from Downing Streetpublished at 06:35 British Summer Time 6 September 2022

    David Wallace Lockhart
    BBC political correspondent

    Downing Street
    Image caption,

    Downing Street is a hive of activity already

    Nothing gets journalists out of bed like a speech from the prime minister. And today we’re due two - one from Boris Johnson this morning, and one from Liz Truss this afternoon.

    Even at 6am the security queues were big, and much of the world’s media are already in place. A platform of scaffolding has been erected to give the cameras a good shot. Downing Street feels a bit like a movie set.

    It’s dry at the moment, but there was plenty of thunder and lightning overnight. Boris Johnson’s team will be hoping the rain stays off this morning when he speaks from the podium in the street.

    Liz Truss will hope the storm isn’t any kind of metaphor for the challenges she’ll face in office.

  4. When will the Queen appoint the new PM?published at 06:26 British Summer Time 6 September 2022

    The Queen has appointed every prime minister since 1951Image source, Getty Images

    Normally a new PM is invited to Buckingham Palace to be appointed by the Queen but in a break from tradition, the monarch will instead stay in Balmoral and both Boris Johnson and Liz Truss will travel to Aberdeenshire to meet her there.

    The Queen has suffered from mobility issues and it is understood the change was made to prevent the need for any last-minute rearrangements.

    Johnson is expected to announce his resignation to the Queen with his successor appointed by the monarch shortly after.

    Truss will be the 15th British prime minister of the monarch’s 70-year reign. See pictures of them all here.

  5. What the papers saypublished at 06:02 British Summer Time 6 September 2022

    A composite of the Daily Mail and the Mirror newspapers

    A beaming Liz Truss dominates the front pages - alongside the widespread view that one of her first acts as prime minister will be to freeze energy bills for homes and businesses.

    "Liz puts her foot on the gas" reads the Sun's headline.

    The i newspaper reports that Truss plans to freeze gas and electricity bills at their current average annual cost of just under £2,000 until the end of January.

    However, the Daily Telegraph reports that bills could be frozen for longer- until 2024.

    The Guardian says Truss might have won the contest - but asks whether "she can avert the looming crisis".

    See all the front pages here.

  6. Truss to become UK's third female prime minister in historypublished at 05:43 British Summer Time 6 September 2022

    Composite of file photos of (left to right) former prime ministers Margaret Thatcher and Theresa May and Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, who has secured her place as the UK's third female prime minister after beating Rishi Sunak in the election for the leadership of the Conservative Party / PA MediaImage source, PA Media

    Liz Truss' Tory leadership victory will see her become the third British female prime minister in history.

    All female prime ministers so far have been Conservative, the former two being Margaret Thatcher and Theresa May. Here's a look at their time in office:

    Margaret Thatcher: Thatcher was elected MP for Finchley in 1959 and became education secretary after the Tories won the 1970 general election.

    Thatcher became the first female prime minister in May 1979, winning a 44-seat majority. Following the Falklands war, during which Thatcher earned her "Iron Lady" nickname, she had her second general election win, increasing her majority to 144 seats.

    She won her third general election, with a majority of 101 seats, in June 1987. Thatcher resigned as PM in 1990 after losing the support of her party for introducing the widely disliked "poll tax", and over differences on European Economic Community policy.

    Theresa May: Theresa May was elected MP for Maidenhead in 1997 and became prime minister in 2016, following David Cameron, after serving as home secretary for six years.

    She failed to win an overall majority in the 2017 general election outright - after calling the election to try to strengthen her hand in talks with the EU on Brexit - but stayed on as prime minister.

    May stepped down as Tory leader on 7 June 2019 and continued to serve as PM until Boris Johnson was chosen has her successor. Brexit dominated her time at No 10.

  7. What's going to happen today?published at 05:33 British Summer Time 6 September 2022

    British Prime Minister Boris Johnson arrives at Downing Street in London Britain September 5, 2022. REUTERS/Hannah McKayImage source, EPA

    Boris Johnson is expected to make his last address as prime minister from Downing Street this morning.

    Immediately afterwards, he will leave for Balmoral in Aberdeenshire where he is due to announce his resignation to the Queen.

    Shortly after this, Truss - also at Balmoral - will be appointed by the monarch as the new prime minister.

    The pair will then travel back to London - and the new PM will have her own podium moment, appearing outside No 10 this afternoon.

    Later in the day, Truss is likely to begin announcing her cabinet appointments, expected to include the current Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng as chancellor, the current Attorney General, Suella Braverman as home secretary - while James Cleverly expected to move from education secretary to foreign secretary.

  8. Queen to appoint UK’s next prime ministerpublished at 05:24 British Summer Time 6 September 2022

    British Member of Parliament and Conservative Party Co-Chair Andrew Stephenson (L) congratulates new Conservative Party Leader Liz Truss (R) following the announcement of her win at Conservative Central Office, London,Image source, EPA

    Liz Truss will be appointed as the UK’s next prime minister today, after Boris Johnson formally issues his resignation to the Queen.

    We’re expecting Johnson to speak at Downing Street this morning for the final time of his term in office, before the pair travel to Balmoral in Scotland to meet the monarch.

    Stay with us as we bring you the latest updates.