Liz Truss poised to take over as the UK's next prime minister

Postal and online voting by the estimated 200,000 Tory members began in early August, and concludes today evening.

After a gruelling nationwide tour, a dozen hustings and three televised debates, Liz Truss appears poised to take over as the UK's next prime minister heading into the close of voting by Conservative party members on Friday.

The result of the summer-long campaign pitting the foreign secretary against former chancellor Rishi Sunak will be announced on Monday, before Prime Minister Boris Johnson formally tenders his resignation to Queen Elizabeth II the next day.

Postal and online voting by the estimated 200,000 Tory members began in early August, a month after Mr. Johnson announced his resignation, and concludes at 5:00 pm.

Ms. Truss enjoys overwhelming support over Mr. Sunak in polling of the members.

But the winner faces a vanishingly short political honeymoon once they return to 10 Downing Street from meeting the queen in the Scottish Highlands.

The UK is in the throes of its worst cost-of-living crisis in generations, with inflation soaring by double digits as energy prices rocket on the back of Russia's war in Ukraine.

Millions say that with bills set to rise by 80 per cent from October -- and further from January -- they face a painful choice between eating and heating this winter, according to surveys.