Rishi Sunak v/s Liz Truss: Explained how will the winner be announced as the next UK PM

The race between Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss to become the next prime minister of the United Kingdom will conclude Monday evening when the ruling Conservative Party will announce the result of an internal election to decide its leader and that of the nation.

Polling closed Friday; the final hustings, or campaign, event sealed votes from around 1.6 lakh members.

Handover of power – from outgoing PM Boris Johnson and the winner – will take place at Scotland’s Balmoral Castle insted of Buckingham Palace in London. This break in tradition is because Queen Elizabeth II – in Scotland for her summer holiday – plans to scale back public appearances and has no immediate plan to return to London.

The process will begin with Johnson making a statement at 10, Downing Street in London on Tuesday. He will then travel to Scotland and to inform the Queen of his resignation. After this, the winner – Sunak or Truss- will meet the Queen and be asked to form a government.

The appointment of the new PM will be penned in the official record of royal engagements; “The prime minister kissed hands on appointment,” the Court Circular will state.

After the official appointment, Sunak or Truss will fly back to London to deliver a speech outside Downing Street around 4 pm and then appoint a cabinet. The new team of ministers will meet on Wednesday, before the prime minister enters the House of Commons chamber at noon. The house proceedings will take place with the prime minister’s first face to face Question Time with the leader of the opposition Labour Party, Keir Starmer.