Liz Truss has been announced as new Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative party.
Responding to the news that Liz Truss has won the Conservative Party leadership contest and will become the next Prime Minister, Lib Dem MP for Oxford West and Abingdon Layla Moran said: “Throughout her campaign Liz Truss has shown that she simply does not have a plan for the changes this country needs.
“Food prices are skyrocketing, and hard-working people are already feeling the impact of rising energy bills. They need urgent action now to tackle the cost of living crisis. Liz Truss is simply not up to the job.
“I will continue to stand up for the people of Oxford West and Abingdon in Parliament, holding this new Government’s feet to the fire over the issues that matter to families, pensioners, nurses and teachers in my local area.
“As this new Prime Minister is elected by only 170,000 Conservative Party Members, now more than ever we need a general election to give voters a chance to kick this failing Conservative Government out for good.”
Commenting on the election of Liz Truss as leader of the Conservative Party, and her expected becoming Prime Minister on Tuesday, Kevin Courtney, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union, said:
"Liz Truss inherits a whole set of challenges in need of urgent attention. The cost-of-living crisis affects every citizen, every public service, every business. To survive this period will require significant governmental support and swift action.
"Teacher pay, support staff pay and school funding are all live issues, with the government's current pay deal falling far short of what is required. Whoever ends up with the education brief must look again at the case for a fully-funded pay rise which at least matches inflation.
"The current 5% deal for teachers and 8% for support staff adds up to a further pay cut, on top of more than a decade of real-terms cuts to pay. Teacher recruitment and retention has been in a parlous state for some time, and this must be arrested urgently if we are to protect education services into the future.
"School funding has been similarly depressed in recent years, with the costs of running a school continuing to rise. Austerity then Covid were tests of resilience, and the energy crisis is the latest. Government cannot expect schools to make ends meet forever.
"Children and young people are suffering as a result of the Government’s decision not to invest in and prioritise education recovery. They should no longer be an after-thought, nor bear the brunt, and we urge the new Prime Minister to shield children during the cost-of-living crisis and to take urgent steps to end child poverty.
"The general public will see through any attempt by Liz Truss to disassociate herself from twelve years of Conservative mismanagement. She served under David Cameron, Theresa May and Boris Johnson, and must carry that collective responsibility with her. Some positive change in direction to the benefit of the education system will be welcome.”
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