Glasgow’s MPs and MSPs reaction to Liz Truss as the new Prime Minister

The Conservative party announced this afternoon that Liz Truss will be leader of the Conservatives - and consequently Britain’s new Prime Minister.

We asked every Glasgow MP and MSP for their opinion on the appointment of Liz Truss to the position of PM - here’s what they said:

Nicola Sturgeon, SNP MSP Glasgow Southside & First Minister of Scotland

Nicola Sturgeon wrote on Twitter:“Congratulations to Liz Truss.

“Our political differences are deep, but I will seek to build a good working relationship with her as I did with last 3 PMs.

“She must now freeze energy bills for people & businesses, deliver more cash support, and increase funding for public services.”

Carol Monaghan, SNP MP, Glasgow North West

Carol Monaghan told GlasgowWorld:“Throughout the Tory leadership contest, the new Prime Minister has shown that she is completely out of touch with the struggles ordinary households will face this winter.

“Since Boris Johnson and his cabinet have been in hiding all summer, Liz Truss must immediately form a government to urgently get a grip on the cost-of-living crisis.

“Enough time has been wasted and the new Prime Minister needs to implement a pandemic style package of support.

“This must include scrapping the increase to the energy price cap, doubling the energy grant, and putting in place measures to support businesses.

“If the UK Government will not sufficiently support households and businesses this winter the Scottish Government must be given the financial powers to do so.”

Anas Sarwar, Labour MSP & leader of Scottish Labour, Glasgow region

Anas Sarwar wrote on Twitter:”All Liz Truss can offer is more deceit, division and distraction.

“The time is up for the Tories. We need a General Election - only Labour can replace them.”

Kaukab Stewart, SNP MSP, Glasgow Kelvin

Kaukab Stewart wrote:”Prime Minister Truss. The mind boggles.

“Whether she ignores Scotland or not, we won’t be able to ignore her and her right wing agenda that we did not and have not voted for in 50 years and more.

Annie Wells, Conservative MSP, Glasgow region,

Annie Wells said:“I am delighted that Liz Truss has won the Conservative leadership contest, and therefore will be this country’s next Prime Minister.

“I would also like to thank Rishi Sunak for his campaign, which was hard fought.

“With the leadership contest over, the hard work of the government begins.

“Our new Prime Minister faces a wide range of pressing challenges, from the energy crisis to Russia’s war in Ukraine.

“Liz Truss has set out bold proposals to confront these challenges head on, including financial support for the most vulnerable paying for their energy bills, cutting taxes so hard working families can keep more of the money they earn and addressing the long-term supply of the UK’s energy.

“Liz Truss has also confirmed that further measures to deal with the energy crisis, especially supporting people financially, will be unveiled in the coming weeks.

“I know, as Prime Minister, Liz Truss will be more than up to the task.”

Dr Sandesh Gulhane, Conservative MSP, Glasgow region

Dr Sandesh Gulhane wrote on Twitter:“Congratulations @trussliz for becoming our new leader of the party and Prime Minister.

“Commiserations to @RishiSunak who ran a great campaign.”

Paul Sweeney, Labour & Co-op MSP, Glasgow region

Paul Sweeney wrote on Twitter:“The number of people who voted to appoint our new Prime Minister is roughly equivalent to the population of Paisley.

“They are an unrepresentative selectorate.

“Given the country faces such a critical cost of living crisis, we need a new Parliament with a clear democratic mandate.”

Stewart McDonald, SNP MP, Glasgow South

Stewart McDonald wrote on Twitter:”We can do better than a Truss government with no mandate.

“Join the movement for Scotland’s independence in the EU.”

McDonald also told TIME magazine that Truss ‘will still be voter repellent to most people in Scotland’.

Pam Duncan-Glancy, Labour MSP, Glasgow region

Pam Duncan-Glancy told GlasgowWorld:”“People of Glasgow will feel no comfort in the appointment of the new Prime Minister. Liz Truss in cabinet was part of the reason so many of them are in dire straits.

“There is no doubt that she will be welcomed by a bulging inbox and a growing list of urgent and severe problems that need solving but it’s important to remember that Prime Minister Truss has spent her last decade in governments that lead us here in the first place.

“This is continuity chaos from the same destructive Tory party. We need to get Truss and the rest of her Tories out. Labour and ready are waiting to step up for the people of Glasgow and beyond.

“We know how to govern properly, and we know how to change the lives of people right across the UK. We’ve done it before, and we’ll do it again.”

David Linden, SNP MP, Glasgow East

David Linden wrote on Twitter:”Liz Truss will be the 9th Tory Prime Minister in a row Scotland hasn’t voted for.

“After a summer of inaction, she must now act immediately to bring forward a plan to support homes & businesses through the energy crisis, as well as properly funding the public services we rely on.”

Anne McLaughlin, SNP MP, Glasgow North East

Anne McLaughlin wrote on Twitter:”Liz Truss once said she’d be prepared to withdraw from the European Convention on Human Rights.

“Now that she’s PM, she CAN and she likely will. Those who support Independence do so for many reasons.

“The protection of our legal rights is a pretty solid one. “

Bill Kidd, SNP MP, Glasgow Anniesland

Bill Kidd told us:“Liz Truss will prove to be yet another reason why the Scottish People should have the democratic right to decide for themselves who their government is – we haven’t voted Tory since 1955, yet we’re stuck with another one of them”.

Alison Thewliss, SNP MP, Glasgow Central

Alison Thewliss told GlasgowWorld:“Liz Truss has among the worst poll ratings of any incoming UK Prime Minister for decades. The overwhelming majority of Scots don’t want her to be Prime Minister - and have little to no confidence that she’ll tackle the Tory cost of living crisis in the right way. “If she wants to turn around her sinking ship, she must ditch Tory plans to benefit the very richest with tax cuts - and, instead, do the right thing by targeting cash at low and middle income families. “After a decade of Tory cuts and Brexit damage, the UK already has the worst inequality of any country in north west Europe and millions of people are languishing in poverty. “Instead of reverting to type with tax cuts for the wealthy few, the UK government must follow the lead of the Scottish Government and target resources at ordinary families.

“This must include matching the £25 a week Scottish Child Payment UK-wide, which would benefit millions. “The UK government has refused to devolve key powers to the Scottish Parliament - so it must finally use its reserved powers to act.”

John Mason, SNP MSP, Glasgow Shettleston

John Mason told us:”“Westminster still holds all the key powers to dealing with the cost of living crisis. It is Liz Truss and her colleagues who can help Glaswegians who are really struggling.

“For example, I would very much like to see a windfall tax on those companies which have made huge profits in recent times. Money to support those in the greatest need has to come from somewhere.

“So it seems clear to me that those with the deepest pockets should be contributing a lot more than they have been.”

Bob Doris, Humza Yousaf, Pauline McNeill, James Dornan, Patrick Harvie, Ivan McKee, Patrick Gradie, and Chris Stephens have all been contacted for comment - and will be added to this article as and when they respond.