For di age of seven, Liz Truss play di role of Margaret Thatcher for her school mock general election.
But unlike di prime minister, wey win huge majority for 1983, she no dey successful.
Many years later, Liz Truss recall: “I jump at di chance and give ogbonge speech for di hustings, but ended up with zero votes. I no even vote for myself.”
Thirty-nine years afta, she dey jump at di chance to follow di Iron Lady lead for real and become Conservative leader and prime minister.
Di foreign secretary trail ex-Chancellor Rishi Sunak in all five rounds of voting by Tory MPs.
But bookmakers dey see her as di clear favourite to win, as she don spend years building relationships with constituency associations and remain loyal to Boris Johnson during di darkest days of im premiership.
In many ways, she no be conventional Tory.
Dem born Mary Elizabeth Truss for Oxford for 1975. She describe her father, wey be mathematics professor, and her mother, wey be nurse, as “left-wing”.
As a young girl, her mama take on marches for di Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, one organisation wey strongly dey opposed to di Thatcher goment decision to allow US nuclear warheads to dey installed for RAF Greenham Common, west of London.
Basic fact about Liz Truss:
- Age: 47
- Place of birth: Oxford
- Home: London and Norfolk
- Education: Roundhay School for Leeds, Oxford University
- Family: Married to accountant Hugh O’Leary with two teenage daughters
- Parliamentary constituency: South West Norfolk
Di family move to Paisley, just west of Glasgow, wen Liz Truss na four years old.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4 Profile, her brother tok say di family enjoy playing board games, but di young Ms Truss hate to lose and go often disappear rather than risk not to win.
Di family later decamp to Leeds, where she attend Roundhay, one state secondary school.
She describe seeing “children wey fail and wey dey let down by low expectations” during her time there.
Some of Liz Truss mate for Roundhay no agree with her account of di school, including Guardian journalist Martins Pengelly wey write: “Perhaps she dey selectively deploy her upbringing, and casually no speak welll of di school and teachers wey nurture her, for simple political gain.”
Whatever her schooling, Liz Truss get to Oxford University, where she read philosophy, politics and economics and dey active in student politics, at first for di Liberal Democrats.
For di party 1994 conference, she speak in favour of ending di monarchy, telling delegates for Brighton: “We Liberal Democrats believe in opportunity for all. We no believe say pipo dey born to rule.”
Westminster ambitions
Afta graduating she work as accountant for Shell, and Cable & Wireless, and marry fellow accountant Hugh O’Leary for 2000. Di couple get two children.
Lizz Truss stand as di Tory candidate for Hemsworth, West Yorkshire, for di 2001 general election, but lost.
She suffer another defeat for Calder Valley, also for West Yorkshire, for 2005.
But, her political ambitions no die-off, Dem elect her as a councillor for Greenwich, south-east London, for 2006, and from 2008 she also work for di right-of-centre Reform think tank.
Conservative leader David Cameron put Liz Truss for im “A-list” of priority candidates for di 2010 election and dem select her to stand for di safe seat of South West Norfolk.
But she quickly face one battle against de-selection by di constituency Tory association, afta tori come out say she bin get affair with Tory MP Mark Field some years earlier.
Di effort to comot her fail and Lizz Truss come win di seat by more than 13,000 votes.
She co-authored one book, Britannia Unchained, with four oda Conservative MPs wey dem elect for 2010, wey recommend stripping back state regulation to boost di UK position for di world, and dis mark her out as one prominent advocate of free market policies for di Tory benches.
During one BBC leadership debate, she receive one challenge about one comment for Britannia Unchained, wey describe British workers as “among di worst idlers for di world”.
She insist say she no be she write am.
For 2012, just over two years afta she become MP, she enter goment as education minister and for 2014, she get promotion to be environment secretary.
For di 2015 Conservative conference, dem mock Liz Truss was for one speech wey she tok: “We import two-thirds of our cheese. dat. na. Disgrace.”
Brexit U-turn
Less than one year later na di di biggest political event – di EU referendum.
Lizz Truss campaign for Remain, writing for di Sun newspaper dat Brexit go be “a triple tragedy – more rules, more forms and more delays wen selling to di EU”.
However, afta her side lost, she change her mind, arguing dat Brexit provid opportunity to “shake up di way things dey work”.
Under Theresa May premiership, she serve as justice secretary before moving on to become chief secretary to di Treasury.
Wen Boris Johnson become prime minister for 2019, dem move Lizz Truss to international trade secretary – one job wey mean meeting global political and business leaders to promote UK PLC
For 2021, she move to one of di most senior jobs in goment, taking over from Dominic Raab as foreign secretary.
For dis role she find way to solve di knotty problem of di Northern Ireland Protocol, by scrapping parts of one post-Brexit EU-UK deal – dis na one move wey di EU fiercely criticise.
She secure di release of two British-Iranian nationals wey dem bi arrest and detain.
And wen Russia invade Ukraine for February she take hard line, insisting dem gatz drive all of Vladimir Putin forces from di kontri.
But she face criticism for backing pipo from di UK wey want to fight for Ukraine.
Opposed to handouts’
Lizz Truss campaign for di party leadership no dey free of controversy.
Press with how she go tackle di cost of living crisis, she bin tok say she go focus her efforts on “lowering di tax burden, not giving out handouts”.
She don dey forced to scrap one plan to link public sector pay to regional living costs by one backlash from senior Tories wey tok say dis go mean lower pay for millions of workers outside London.
And she call Scotland First Minister Nicola Sturgeon “attention seeker”, adding say e dey best to “ignore her”.
However, polls suggest say shedey more popular among party members than her rival Rishi Sunak.
Some don suggest say Lizz Truss, through her outfits – such as a fur hat and a white bow – dey try to immitate another Tory favourite – Mrs Thatcher.
Lizz Truss don dismissed dis, telling GB News: “E dey quite frustrating say dem dey always compare female politicians to Margaret Thatcher while dem no dey compare male politicians to Ted Heath.”
But dis kind comparisons no be disadvantage like dat wen e gatz to gain support from Conservative Party members
