A general election is not likely to take place anytime soon, judging by the remarks of the new Tory leader Liz Truss.

She was announced as the winner of the leadership contest this afternoon, meaning she will become the UK’s next prime minister tomorrow.

Some had speculated she would call an early general election, as her predecessor Theresa May did after taking power.

But it seems this isn’t on the cards, as in her acceptance speech today she spoke of winning a ‘great victory’ for the Conservatives ‘in 2024.

After beating rival Rishi Sunak, she gave a speech thanking Tory party members for voting for her.

She wasn’t forced to give a specific date for an election, but gave one anyway.

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The new Tory leader said: ‘We all will deliver for our country and I will make sure that we use all the fantastic talents of the Conservative Party, our brilliant Members of Parliament and peers, our fantastic councillors, our MSs, our MSPs, all of our councillors and activists and members right across our country.

‘Because my friends, I know that we will deliver, we will deliver and we will deliver.

‘And we will deliver a great victory for the Conservative Party in 2024.’

In total, Ms Truss received 81,326 votes from the Tory membership compared to Mr Sunak’s 60,399.

Brexit minister Jacob Rees-Mogg has said he is ‘delighted’ that Liz Truss has been chosen to become the next prime minister.

Emerging from the Queen Elizabeth II Centre in Westminster where the result of the Tory leadership competition was announced, Mr Rees-Mogg said: ‘Delighted Liz Truss has won.

‘It’s very good news for the Conservative Party and for the country.’

He added: ‘I think she will be an excellent prime minister.’

Ms Truss will begin work putting together a response to the energy crisis, with support promised within days.

But Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said Ms Truss is ‘not on the side of working people’ after she was unveiled as the new leader.

Giving his reaction to the result at Friern Barnet School in north London, he told journalists: ‘We’ve heard far more from the latest prime minister about cuts to corporation tax over the summer than we have about the cost-of-living crisis, the single most important thing that’s bearing down on so many millions of households.

‘That shows not only that she’s out of touch, but she’s not on the side of working people.

‘So she needs to deal with the cost of living crisis, she needs to deal with the fact the NHS is on its knees, and she needs to deal with the collapse of law and order.

‘There can be no justification for not freezing energy prices.

‘There’s a political consensus that needs to happen.

‘She needs to ask the question how she’s going to pay for that.

‘Labour made it clear, it needs to be a windfall tax on oil and gas companies.

‘So, she needs to show that she actually understands and can meet the challenges that are there after 12 years of failure of this Tory Government.’

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