Boris Johnson resigns, newly elected British PM Liz Truss to succeed, address England, cheer Ukraine

Two months after announcing his intent to step down, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson left his office at 10 Downing Street office Tuesday morning before heading to Balmoral Castle in Scotland to formally offer his resignation to Queen Elizabeth II.

His replacement, 47-year old conservative party leader Liz Truss is expected to be formally accepted by the Queen later today, one day after the Conservative Party’s 172,000 members elected her as their leader.

Johnson told his fellow Britons outside Downing Street that during his tenure he felt he did what was necessary during his tenure to protect England and it was now time to move forward.

“I am like one of those booster rockets that has fulfilled its function,’’ Johnson said before getting into a car and leaving the gates of Downing Street for the last time as prime minister. “I will now be gently re-entering the atmosphere and splashing down invisibly in some remote and obscure corner of the Pacific.”

The change in power from Johnson to Truss at the queen’s summer retreat at Balmoral marks the first time such a ceremony was held in Aberdeenshire instead of London’s Buckingham Palace. The ceremony location was changed to avoid inconveniencing the 96-year old queen who has recently experienced some difficulty.

Truss is expected to speak to the entire United Kingdom Tuesday afternoon as the nation’s new leader. Her audience will consist of 67 million people who are most likely waiting to hear her plans for how to deal with issues such as the economy, energy, the health care system and the continuing Russian invasion in Ukraine.

The war has placed pressure on Western Europeans, and many Britons are currently struggling to pay their energy bills, which have reportedly tripled since Russian President Vladimir Putin breached the Ukrainian border.

Other contributing factors have been the economic slowdown from the COVID-19 pandemic and Brexit, leaving England facing current inflation rates of 10% with projections of it peaking 13.3% by October. The current Sterling rate for the British pound is as low as $1.15, a minimal performance against the U.S. dollar since the Reagan era.

To face those problems, Truss is reportedly planning to scale back regulations and cut taxes.

Amid forming a new cabinet, Truss, who is a strong supporter of Ukraine’s freedom, said her first act will be to call to President Volodymyr Zelensky to offer her support.