Boris Johnson stepped down as UK prime minister, ending a three-year period of unrest and leaving his successor, Liz Terrace, with a long list of issues that needed to be addressed quickly.

Johnson, who was removed from office by the Conservative Party after a series of scandals, called on the country to unite and support his successor.

After a farewell speech at his official residence in Downing Street, Johnson left London for Scotland, where he will submit his resignation to Queen Elizabeth. A prime minister will then be appointed, who will proceed to form a government.

Now 47-year-old Trace will have to manage the UK in the face of a looming recession and energy crisis that threatens the finances of millions of families and businesses.

His plan to stimulate the economy by cutting taxes while allocating tens of billions of pounds to cut energy costs has already alarmed financial markets, prompting investors to dump sterling and government bonds.

“I’m telling my fellow Conservatives it’s time to put an end to political disputes… It’s time for all of us to support Liz Truss, her team and her platform,” Johnson said in his speech.

Terrace will become the fourth Conservative prime minister in six years. And she took charge with weaker political support than many of her predecessors after defeating challenger Rishi Sunak in a narrower-than-expected party vote, and she wasn’t initially the first choice of lawmakers in the country. the consignment.

Trace vowed to take “bold measures” to keep the country safe, including lowering taxes, despite warnings that it could exacerbate the UK’s inflation rate, which has already reached 10.1%, the highest among major economies.

Johnson, who fought to stay in office to the end, used his farewell speech to boast of his successes, including launching an early pandemic vaccination program and his support for Ukraine from the start of its fight against Russia.

Johnson declined to rule out returning to the position in the future, but also indicated that he was still traumatized by the way he was leaving.

Terrace would follow Johnson to Scotland, where the Queen would ask her to form a government. She will then address the nation and start appointing her ministerial team on Tuesday.