CEREDIGION MP Ben Lake says the new Prime Minister’s first act in office needs to be tackling the energy crisis.

Liz Truss MP was voted in as the new leader of the Conservative party on Monday with 81,326 votes compared to her competitor, Rishi Sunak’s 60,399 votes.

Reacting to the announcement, Ceredigion MP, Ben Lake, said: “Liz Truss MP takes office at a moment of severe anxiety for households and firms across the UK.

“Energy price hikes have driven inflation to rates that have not been seen for a generation, and millions of families are struggling to cover their bills.

“While it is good that Liz Truss seems to have recognised the need for Government intervention to limit the impact of rising energy bills, we still await details of the support that will be offered to households and businesses.

"The first act of the new Prime Minister must be the introduction of an emergency measure to control the price paid by end consumers so that it is brought back in line with the pre-April energy price cap level, and that the benefit applies to small businesses and charities. “Households and businesses alike cannot afford the cost of further delay, as bills have already started to increase.

"A key long-term solution to avoid future energy crises is to extend profit controls to the entire energy sector, and to offer homes and businesses grant and interest-free loan support for green energy and energy efficiency measures. I am hoping the new Prime Minister will look to implement such policies as a matter of urgency."

Dwyfor Meirionnydd MP and Parliamentary leader of Plaid Cymru, said: “The new Prime Minister’s refusal to commit to concrete action on energy bills for weeks has made permanent damage to the UK government’s credibility ahead of a catastrophic crisis.

“Her cruel fantasy economics will secure her fate as the UK’s last Prime Minister.

“Let’s now skip the tedious pomp and ceremony – the first action of the new PM must be to slash energy bills by returning the energy price cap to pre-April levels and extend it to small businesses and charities. It is unacceptable that people are still in the dark about how they’ll pay their bills in a matter of weeks.

“While Westminster has been paralysed by a tedious Tory tit-for-tat, in Wales we’re doing things differently. While our new Prime Minister prepares to give handouts to the super-rich and rants against the redistribution of wealth, we in Plaid Cymru is getting on with delivering universal free school meals. From this week, the youngest children begin receiving free school meals, easing the cost-of-living crisis for families all over Wales.”

Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies MS said: “I am delighted that Liz has been elected party leader and will be our next Prime Minister. “There is a lot of work to be getting on with, especially in tackling the cost-of-living crisis, and I look forward to seeing Liz’s ideas put into action to alleviate the struggle millions are facing.

The election followed the announcement in July by Prime Minister Boris Johnson that he would stand down, following a series of scandals including “Parytgate” - the Prime Minister was fined for attending a birthday party in breach of the lockdown rules in June 2020. In a break with tradition, Mr Johnson will have to travel to Balmoral Castle to tender his formal resignation to Queen Elizabeth II, before Liz Truss will be formally appointed as PM.