CONSERVATIVES have called on the party to “come together” and support Liz Truss as she becomes party leader and Prime Minister.

Ms Truss is having an audience with the Queen in Balmoral today, where she will be formally invited to form a government.

The Brighton and Hove Conservative Association expressed relief that the weeks-long leadership election has come to a close and said the new Prime Minister would need to “hit the ground running” to deal with a wide range of issues facing the country.

A spokeswoman for the association said: “The election result itself has shown a clear preference amongst the membership for Liz Truss.

“It is now incumbent upon the party to come together behind her and give her our support - and for her to bring the party together and demonstrate that support has been justified.

“With Parliament reconvening this week, it is essential she hits the ground running to deal with current crises facing the nation in respect of energy prices, inflation and strikes.

“We await the details of her new cabinet and their plans to deal with these issues.”

The spokeswoman added that the crises are “to a great respect” a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and said that Parliament is united in its resolve to support the Ukrainian people.

Boris Johnson met the Queen earlier today to formally tender his resignation as Liz Truss prepares to step into Number 10.

The Argus: Outgoing Prime Minister Boris Johnson made a farewell speech outside Number 10 earlier today: credit - PAOutgoing Prime Minister Boris Johnson made a farewell speech outside Number 10 earlier today: credit - PA (Image: PA)

In a farewell speech this morning, he said he was like “one of those booster rockets that has fulfilled its function” and would be “gently re-entering the atmosphere and splashing down invisibly in some remote and obscure corner of the Pacific".

He called for the Conservatives to unite and back his successor but conveyed a sense of bitterness about how his departure came about.

The Prime Minister said: “The baton will be handed over in what has unexpectedly turned out to be a relay race.

“They changed the rules halfway through, but never mind that now.”

He used his speech to celebrate milestones during his time in office, pointing to the government’s record on Brexit, the vaccine rollout and support of Ukraine during the Russian invasion.