LIZ Truss wants to hit the ground running as the new Prime Minister said her former Tory leadership rival Penny Morduant.

She told GB News: “I was sort of the halfway house between both Rishi and Liz and I could have remained undeclared, but I think this contest is too important to just leave it to chance.

“The reason why I chose Liz was because I think she really does recognise that we’re at an inflection point for our country. That yes, we’ve got some challenges, but we have got to enable our country to compete on the international stage.

“We’ve got to attract investment and opportunities into this country and that’s not going to happen by accident.

“We’ve got to actually change the way we’re doing things to modernise our country to be able to create that Brexit dividend that people so desperately want to see.”

Speaking during an interview with Dehenna Davison on GB News, she added: “I’ve known her for many years. She’s very pragmatic.

“She takes advice from a broad range of people, but she also understands the importance of having a plan and a vision, being able to communicate that to others, but also deliver on it.

“I think she really wants to ensure she’s ready to hit the ground running to have that emergency budget, to alleviate some of the cost of living issues that people are facing, but also to create that modern economic framework that we need to really fire up our economy and get things going again.

“That’s what people want to see and that’s why I’ve chosen her. I’ve got a lot of respect for Rishi, but I think that she really understands what the nation needs now.”

Asked about future relations with Scotland’s first minister Nicola Sturgeon, Ms Mordaunt said: “Liz in a whole variety of roles has dealt with all of the devolved administrations. She’s dealt with local government. She’s very used to working constructively with other people and other people who don’t share her political views.

“But what I think she has an intolerance for is focusing on a second Scottish referendum when there is so much that needs to be done to deliver for the people of Scotland.

“That’s what I think she gets frustrated about when dealing with the Scottish nationalists and I think that many of us sympathise with that.”

She said: “Douglas Ross did an amazing job, absolutely, and he is with his team, they’re helping broaden our appeal but what we have to offer is that we’re actually focused on delivering for people on the things that matter to them, on education, on health care, on really trying to get the things that people need and that matter to them to be as good as they possibly can be.

“What they don’t want is a huge amount of political distraction, to have another referendum on the same issue that we had a short while ago, and the Scottish people made their decision on I think that’s very pragmatic.

“And that’s why we are being successful in Scotland and we should continue to challenge the Scottish nationalists on the abysmal record in delivering for people.”

Ms Mordaunt said: “What we’re doing is incredibly important. We’re not just selecting a new leader for the Conservative Party, we’re picking a Prime Minister.

“I think people do want to really ensure the candidates are tested and a lot of members of the Conservative Party want to meet those candidates and have the opportunity to question them directly, so I can understand why we’ve got the length of the contest we have.

“What is important is that the person can come in to Number 10 and start immediately on day one. I know Liz trust can do that.

“I also would say that government hasn’t stopped in the meantime. I spoke to the chancellor yesterday about some of the work he’s doing to look at more options to help us through the autumn and beyond.

“That continues. I’m a minister, I’m still doing my red boxes. We are still working to ensure that our country is catered for and that we’re ready for a new Prime Minister, when that person has chosen.”