Shortly after the Queen’s coffin arrived on Wednesday at Westminster Hall, where as many as 400,000 people are expected to witness the lying in state, politicians joined the royals in a service remembering the late monarch.
But an image of prime minister Liz Truss and Labour leader Keir Starmer was quickly seized upon on social media. It’s not the first time the new Conservative leader has been mocked since the Queen’s death, with many commenting on her unusual curtsey when meeting King Charles.
A constant procession of mourners is continuing to make its way through Westminster Hall to pay their respects, with members of the public having queued for hours along the Thames.
The Queen’s state funeral on Monday will see 2,000 people including world leaders and foreign royals gather inside Westminster Abbey in London on for the final farewell to the nation’s longest reigning monarch.
Some 800 people, including members of the Queen’s Household and Windsor estate staff, will attend the committal service afterwards at 4pm in St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle.
Liz Truss has been criticised for the “unwise and unconstitutional” sacking of a top civil servant.
Tom Scholar was axed as the permanent secretary at the Treasury on Kwasi Kwarteng’s first day as chancellor.
He said Kwarteng had decided it was time for “new leadership” but that he would be “cheering on from the sidelines” in future.
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However, the move has been criticised for former senior members of the civil service.
Sir Simon McDonald, the former permanent under-secretary at the Foreign Office, said “parliament needs to act”.
He tweeted: “Cabinet ministers sacking permanent secretaries on their 1st day in office is unwise & unconstitutional but the government has discovered it can do what it wants with the civil service, which has no power to resist.
“The retired complain, but so what? Parliament needs to act.”
Cabinet ministers sacking permanent secretaries on their 1st day in office is unwise & unconstitutional but the government has discovered it can do what it wants with the civil service, which has no power to resist. The retired complain, but so what? Parliament needs to act. https://t.co/GA8kfIISzS
He was responding to a letter in The Times by Sir David Normington, who was permanent secretary at the Home Office between 2006 and 2010.
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He said: “The sad fact is that in sacking Sir Tom Scholar, one of the ablest civil servants of his generation, the prime minister and chancellor have sent a clear message to the civil service that they are not interested in impartial advice and intend to surround themselves with ‘yes’ men and women.
“That is a sure route to bad decision-making and weak government.”
Scholar’s sacking came after Truss made clear during the Tory leadership contest that she wanted to challenge the Treasury “orthodoxy” on how to run the economy.
Kwarteng will next week use a mini-budget to unveil the government’s plan to slash taxes to boost economic growth.
King Charles was visibly frustrated during a signing ceremony in Northern Ireland as the new monarch had his second mishap in recent days involving a pen.
The King was visiting Hillsborough Castle, Northern Ireland’s only royal residence, where he was filmed signing the estate’s visitors’ book as part of a tour of the UK following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth.
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But his pen leaked, much to the new King Charles’s annoyance.
“I can’t bear this bloody thing!”: King Charles’ signing ceremony at Northern Ireland’s Hillsborough Castle made one thing clear – even royalty can’t escape the frustration of an inadequate pen. pic.twitter.com/nzygNTLslX
Turning to his wife Camilla, the Queen Consort, he says: “Oh God, I hate this (pen).”
Camilla quickly pointed out the pen’s ink had leaked over the book, saying: “Oh look, it’s going everywhere.”
Wiping his fingers, King Charles continued: “I can’t bear this bloody thing. What they do, every stinking time.”
The King is known to carry his own fountain pen for when he is frequently called on to sign visitors’ books during royal visits.
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In the much-shared clip, the King also forgot the date.
“Is it September the 12th?,” he asked an aide.
When told it was the 13th, he said, “Oh god, I’ve put the wrong date down.”
Camilla then said to him rather sharply: “You signed the 12th earlier.”
On Saturday, the new monarch went viral after a clip showed him shooing staff to clear his desk while he signed his accession proclamation.
In the footage, the King fans his hand dismissively at an aide to direct the moving of an ink pot.
The King’s tetchy response comes less than a week after his mother’s death, and during a marathon series of events to marks an official period of mourning,
The emergence of the clips reflect the unprecedented access granted to the cameras under the UK’s new head of state.
Last week, the King told Liz Truss that the Queen’s death was a “moment I’ve been dreading” as the new prime minister had her first audience with the monarch at Buckingham Palace. The meeting is usually private.
“I campaigned as a Conservative and I will govern as a Conservative,” she said. “We need to deliver over the next two years.”
She celebrated her victory by having lunch with her husband, Hugh O’Leary.
It was to be her last moment of relaxation for some time.
Exit Boris, Enter Liz
On Tuesday morning, Boris Johnson left 10 Downing Street for the last time as prime minister, travelling to Balmoral to hand in his resignation to the Queen.
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Before his departure, in a speech outside the famous black door, he took one final swipe at the Tory MPs who had forced him from office less than three years after he led them to a thumping election victory.
“The baton will be handed over in what has unexpectedly turned out to be a relay race. They changed the rules halfway through, but never mind that now.”
As soon as his private plane landed at Aberdeen airport, the government jet carrying Truss north for her own audience with the 96-year-old monarch took off from RAF Northolt.
In what was to be her first and last meeting with the Queen as prime minister, Truss was invited to form a government.
Standing outside No.10 a few hours later, she echoed Winston Churchill as she vowed to take “action this day” to tackle the cost of living crisis.
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“I am confident that together we can ride out the storm, we can rebuild our economy and we can become the modern, brilliant Britain that I know we can be,” she said.
“This is our vital mission to ensure opportunity and prosperity for all people and future generations. I am determined to deliver.”
The Queen invites Liz Truss to form a government during an audience at Balmoral.
Jane Barlow via PA Wire/PA Images
In Liz they Truss-t
By her own admission, Truss is not a great public speaker, so expectations were not high ahead of her first prime minister’s questions.
And while she did not scale the rhetorical heights of her predecessor, she more than held her own against Labour leader Keir Starmer, earning her the loud approval of her sceptical MPs.
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She also managed to make a clean break from the Johnson era by giving straight answer to his questions, especially when he asked her whether she would bring in a new windfall tax on energy firms’ huge profits.
Truss said the UK couldn’t “tax its way to growth”, adding: “The way we will grow our economy is by attracting investment, keeping taxes low, delivering the reforms to build projects quicker.”
The bad news breaks
Rumours about the Queen’s health were already swirling at Westminster on Thursday morning ahead of the PM’s announcement that the energy price cap was being frozen at £2,500 for the next two years.
Shortly after Truss had made the announcement in the Commons, she was seen in deep conversation with Cabinet Office minister Nadhim Zahawi, while a note was also passed to Keir Starmer. The atmosphere in the chamber noticeably darkened as MPs’ thoughts turned to the monarch’s wellbeing.
Within the hour, Truss was outside 10 Downing Street, standing at the same spot and behind the same lectern where she had addressed the nation for the first time as prime minister barely 48 hours before.
This time, she was leading the nation’s response to the news that the monarch had died after 70 years on the throne.
“Queen Elizabeth II was the rock on which modern Britain was built,” she said. “Our country has grown and flourished under her reign. Britain is the great country it is today because of her.”
King Charles III during his first audience with Liz Truss at Buckingham Palace.
Yui Mok via PA Wire/PA Images
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God save the King
Truss had her first audience with King Charles III this afternoon at Buckingham Palace, just three days after accepting his late mother’s invitation to form a new government.
Of his mother’s death, he said: “It’s the moment I’d been dreading, as I know a lot of people have. But, have to try and keep everything going.”
No matter what the rest of her time in office brings, it is highly unlikely that it will match the intensity and national significance of her first week as prime minister.
Truss said: “We are all devastated by the news we have just heard from Balmoral. The death of her Majesty the Queen is a huge shock to the nation and to the world.
“Queen Elizabeth II was the rock on which modern Britain was built. Our country has grown and flourished under her reign. Britain is the great country it is today because of her.”
Truss said the UK was now “a modern, thriving, dynamic nation” as a result of the Queen’s 70-year reign.
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“Through thick and thin, Queen Elizabeth II provided us with the stability and the strength that we needed,” she said. “She was the very spirit of Great Britain and that spirit will endure.”
The PM said the late monarch had been “a personal inspiration to me and to many Britons – her devotion to duty is an example to us all”.
And she added: “In the difficult says ahead, we will come together with our friends across the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth and the world to celebrate her extra ordinary lifetime of service.
“It is a day of great loss, but Queen Elizabeth II leaves a great legacy.”
In his own tribute on Twitter, Johnson said: “This is our country’s saddest day,”
“We think of her deep wisdom, and historic understanding, and her seemingly inexhaustible but understated sense of duty,” he said.
“Relentless though her diary must have felt, she never once let it show, and to tens of thousands of events – great and small – she brought her smile and her warmth and her gentle humour – and for an unrivalled 70 years she spread that magic around her kingdom.
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“This is our country’s saddest day because she had a unique and simple power to make us happy. That is why we loved her.
“That is why we grieve for Elizabeth the Great, the longest serving and in many ways the finest monarch in our history.”
Labour leader Keir Starmer said the country would mourn “the passing of a remarkable sovereign”.
He said: “We will always treasure Queen Elizabeth II’s life of service and devotion to our nation and the Commonwealth; our longest-serving and greatest monarch.”
Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle tweeted: “Few of us in the House of Commons have ever known a time when Her Majesty was not there, so her passing has left a huge hole in our lives.
“She was our equilibrium, our history, our guide and our Queen – and we will miss her beyond measure.”
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Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon tweeted: “The death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth is a profoundly sad moment for the UK, the Commonwealth and the world.
“Her life was one of extraordinary dedication and service. On behalf of the people of Scotland, I convey my deepest condolences to The King and the Royal Family.”
Former prime minister Tony Blair said the Queen “was not only respected but loved”.
“Respected because of the qualities of duty, decency, integrity and fidelity which she embodied,” he said. “And loved because of the love and affection she bestowed on us.”
Lib Dem leader Ed Davey said: “We are all deeply mourning the profound loss of a great monarch, who served our country so faithfully all her life and who was loved the world over.
“For many people, including myself, The Queen was an ever-fixed mark in our lives. As the world changed around us and politicians came and went, The Queen was our nation’s constant.
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“The Queen represented duty and courage, as well as warmth and compassion. She was a living reminder of our collective past, of the greatest generation and their sacrifices for our freedom.”
Meanwhile, RMT general secretary Mick Lynch announced that the rail strikes planned for September 15 and 17 have been suspended following the Queen’s death.
He said: “The RMT joins the whole nation in paying its respects to Queen Elizabeth.
“The planned railway strike action on 15 and 17 September is suspended. We express our deepest condolences to her family, friends and the country.”
The economic woes facing new prime minister Liz Truss have been underlined by the pound slipping to a new 37-year-low against the US dollar.
In symbolism noted by many, the last time sterling dipped this low was 1985 – when Truss’s political hero Margaret Thatcher was in power.
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Britain’s currency dropped to as low as $1.1403 on Wednesday, surpassing the trough of $1.1412 seen at the outset of the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020.
The currency is down more than 15% against the dollar so far this year.
Sterling hit an all-time low of $1.0545 in March 1985, just before the Group of Seven (G7) economies acted to rein in the superdollar of the Reagan era in the so-called Plaza Accord.
Why has the pound fallen so low against the US dollar?
The value of a currency invariably reflects how traders fell about the health of a country’s economy – either for better or worse.
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The UK is suffering from a series of factors – most pressingly, soaring energy bills – but the pound’s plunging value against the dollar is also a measure of the relative strength of the American economy, where inflation is easing and strong jobs numbers continue.
Andrew Bailey, governor of the Bank of England, highlighted the strength of the US currency during a Treasury select committee meeting earlier on Wednesday, as he explained to MPs the recent weakness in the pound.
Pound hits new low against the dollar, $1.1406, lowest since 1985. That’s one more parallel between Truss and Thatcher ticked off
A sustained rally in the US dollar, referred to by traders as the “greenback”, has also seen it hit a 24-year high against the Japanese yen – reflecting how the UK is not in a unique position.
Against the euro, the pound was also down almost 1% on Wednesday, although sterling has held up far better against the euro than versus the dollar. It is down just 3% versus the single currency this year.
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Nonetheless, investors are dumping British assets in the face of a bleak economic outlook that incudes the rising risk of a recession. The country’s surging inflation rate is also the highest among G7 powers, with the Bank of England previously predicting inflation could pass 13% in October. Concerns over tax cuts and increased public spending under the new Truss government also add to the uncertainty influencing traders.
Britain has further been hit differently by the energy crisis. While the UK only imports a small percentage of its gas from Russia, it relies more on gas than its European neighbours because it has less nuclear and renewable energy and does not have as much capacity to store gas.
“The British pound slid to its lowest level against the U.S. dollar since 1985, a reflection of the U.K.’s dire economic situation. Investors are braced for sterling to weaken even further to a nadir not seen in more than two centuries” https://t.co/PFtOkw8G1k
Analysts say the direction of the pound could now be swayed by the economic plans of the new prime minister, with Truss expected to detail her response to energy bills on Thursday, with government borrowing likely to pick up the tab for freezing bills for households and businesses.
The tumbling pound is also a headache for the Bank of England since it increases the cost of imports and can cause more imported inflation. The UK’s central bank meets next week and is expected to hike interest rates by 0.5 or even 0.75 percentage points.
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The worst could yet come. Nordea chief analyst Jan von Gerich said: “There could be a recovery in sterling but I wouldn’t catch a falling knife for now.”
What does this mean for Brits?
The immediate impact of the falling pound is being felt by British travellers heading off for their holidays.
This means that travellers to the US – and to a lesser extent, Europe – will find their pound does not go very far, hiking up the cost of everything from accommodation to food.
Other countries use the greenback as the main currency, so even destinations such as Dubai and China are more expensive as their currencies are pegged to the US dollar.
Is it just holidaymakers who will be affected by the pound’s tumble?
All UK consumers stand to be impacted by a sustained plummet in the value of the pound, because it makes it more expensive for retailers and manufacturers to import food, goods and materials.
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This means prices will be pushed up for goods and services, sending UK inflation rising even further and hitting Brits hard in the pocket.
Are there any benefits to a falling pound?
A weak pound can prove helpful in a number of ways, by making it cheaper for foreign companies to buy UK goods and boosting exports as a result.
It can also increase foreign investment in the UK, for example in property and in shares.
The FTSE 100 Index on London’s stock market usually rises when the pound falls as it is dominated by internationally-focused firms, which trade largely in US dollars.
A falling pound can also increase tourism to the UK, with overseas travellers looking to make the most of a better exchange rate.
This offers a boost to retailers and other sectors, such as restaurants and leisure attractions.
Kwasi Kwarteng has been appointed chancellor as Liz Truss made major changes as the new prime minister assembled her new cabinet.
He served as business secretary under Boris Johnson and is a close ally of Truss and early supporter of he leadership bid.
The appointments mean that for the first time in history none of the great offices of state are held by white men.
It follows Therese Coffey being appointed health secretary and deputy prime minister.
Truss began her cabinet reshuffle with a cull of prominent Rishi Sunak supporters, sending Dominic Raab, Grant Shapps and Steve Barclay to the backbenches swiftly after she became prime minister.
She removed the senior figures who had backed her rival in the Tory leadership race promptly after heading to her House of Commons office following her first speech in Downing Street on Tuesday.
Kwarteng, whose appointment to No 11 had been widely expected, replaces Nadhim Zahawi in the Treasury.
Liz Truss has appointed Therese Coffey deputy prime minister and health secretary during a major reshuffle of the government.
The new prime minister appointed Kwasi Kwarteng as chancellor as she also made James Cleverly the foreign secretary.
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Former attorney general Suella Braverman was appointed home secretary, replacing Priti Patel after she pre-emptively resigned.
The appointments mean that for the first time in history none of the great offices of state are held by white men.
Truss began her cabinet reshuffle with a cull of prominent Rishi Sunak supporters, sending Dominic Raab, Grant Shapps and Steve Barclay to the backbenches swiftly after she became prime minister.
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She removed the senior figures who had backed her rival in the Tory leadership race promptly after heading to her House of Commons office following her first speech in Downing Street on Tuesday.
Coffey, the former work and pensions secretary who is regarded as Truss’s closest friend in Westminster, replaced Raab as the second in command after he described Truss’s tax plans as an “electoral suicide note”.
Coffey has spelled out her top four priorities. She told Sky News: “I’m just about to enter the department and go to meet our great civil servants I’m going to work with.
“We’ve got priorities A, B, C, D – ambulances, backlogs, care, D – doctors and dentists. And we’re going to work through that and we’ll make sure that we’re delivering for the patients”.
Asked whether she is ready for strikes, Coffey said: “I think we’ve got to be ready for patients and that’s my top priority, and how we can make best use of our department and of course the NHS in order to achieve the best outcomes for them.”
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Asked what her message is to potentially demoralised NHS staff, Coffey she recognised “they’ve done excellent work” and repeated her priorities.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated. Follow HuffPost UK on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
A metaphor was handed to critics of Liz Truss on a plate as the weather wreaked havoc on her first speech as prime minister.
Heavy rain forced the Number 10 lectern inside and out again before the new Tory leader addressed the nation on Tuesday.
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Journalists and MPs were left in limbo as the heavens opened while Truss’s convoy drove through London towards Downing Street.
<img class="img-sized__img landscape" loading="lazy" alt="The lectern is prepared ahead of new UK prime minister Liz Truss arriving to give her first speech at Downing Street.” width=”720″ height=”480″ src=”https://www.wellnessmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/liz-truss-upstaged-by-a-bin-bag-before-first-speech-as-pm-3.jpg”>
The lectern is prepared ahead of new UK prime minister Liz Truss arriving to give her first speech at Downing Street.
Leon Neal via Getty Images
At one point, a bin bag was draped over the podium microphone.
On the BBC News channel, Huw Edwards was padding for Britain as the plastic protection took centre stage for a full 30 seconds.
The bin bag featured above the headline “Liz Truss appointed Prime Minister”.
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However, just as it looked as though Truss would be forced inside, the inclement weather subsided and the podium, which had been taken inside, was again brought back on to the street.
Of course, the Twitterati had already pounced on the symbolism. The Times writer Caitlin Moran said: “Well, there it is. The picture that will go around the world.”
Staring at a bin bag on a lectern in the pissing rain is a very strong 2022 vibe.
“It all gives the sense… that Britain is broken,” says Sky News’ host as Downing Street staff remove a bin bag from the top of Liz Truss’ lectern and leg it inside from the downpour. pic.twitter.com/HWPLGV6LlH
After the lectern was eventually unsheathed, Truss gave her inaugural address as PM – chanelling Winston Churchill as she pledged to pull the UK out of the doldrums.
<img class="img-sized__img portrait" loading="lazy" alt="New prime minister Liz Truss makes a speech outside 10 Downing Street.” width=”720″ height=”1080″ src=”https://www.wellnessmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/liz-truss-upstaged-by-a-bin-bag-before-first-speech-as-pm-4.jpg”>
New prime minister Liz Truss makes a speech outside 10 Downing Street.
Kirsty O’Connor via PA Wire/PA Images
Speaking as she prepared to enter Number 10 for the first time as prime minister, Truss pledged to take “action this day” to turn the country’s fortunes around.
During the second world war, Churchill famously attached red stickers with those same words to documents needing immediate attention by his staff.
Truss, who was forced to delay her arrival in Downing Street by heavy rain, said she was “honoured to take on this responsibility at a vital time for our country”.
She said: “What makes the United Kingdom great is our fundamental belief in freedom, in enterprise, and in fair play.
“Our people have shown grit, courage and determination time and time again.
“We now face severe global headwinds caused by Russia’s appalling war in Ukraine and the aftermath of Covid.
“Now is the time to tackle the issues that are holding Britain back.”
The new PM added: “We will transform Britain into an aspiration nation with high-paying jobs, safe streets and where everyone everywhere has the opportunities they deserve.
“I will take action this day and action every day to make it happen.”
Priti Patel is standing down as home secretary following the election of Liz Truss as Tory leader.
Patel, a key supporter of Boris Johnson, tweeted her resignation letter on Monday evening, saying it had been the “honour of my life to serve as home secretary for the last three years”.
It has been the honour of my life to serve as Home Secretary for the last three years.
I am proud of our work to back the police, reform our immigration system and protect our country.
Patel did not endorse any candidate in the leadership contest and was widely expected to be moved from her brief on the appointment of a new leader.
Reports suggest that Truss is preparing to appoint fellow leadership contender Suella Braverman to Patel’s role.
In her resignation letter, Patel paid tribute to Johnson for winning the 2019 general election and for breaking the parliamentary deadlock over Brexit.
“Under your leadership, we have made our country safer, strengthened law and order, delivered our manifesto commitments, and laid strong foundations for our successors at Number 10 and in the Home Office to build on,” she wrote.
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“I congratulate Liz Truss on being elected our new leader, and will give her my support as our new prime minister.
“It is my choice to continue my public service to the country and the Witham constituency from the backbenches, once Liz formally assumes office and a new home secretary is appointed.
“From the backbenches, I will champion many of the policies and causes I have stood up for both inside and outside of government.”
Patel’s resignation comes as she today defended her controversial policy of sending migrants to Rwanda.
The High Court heard a case in which several asylum seekers, the Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) and groups Care4Calais and Detention Action questioned the legality of the plan.
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Patel signed what she described as a “world-first agreement” with Rwanda in April but the first deportation flight, due to take off on June 14, was grounded amid a series of legal challenges.
During the hearing those disputing the policy said Rwanda was an “authoritarian state” that “tortures and murders those it considers to be its opponents”.
Patel rejected their argument in the Commons, insisting the policy was “legitimate” and replying “absolutely not” when asked to abandon it.
Despite the policy being launched to deter migrants from making dangerous crossings across the channel, figures released by the Ministry of Defence today revealed 1,160 people were detected on Sunday in 25 boats.
Since the deal was announced, 22,116 people have crossed the Channel to the UK in small boats.
Patel took a parting shot at the “political opponents” and “left-wing activists” she accused of seeking to block her efforts as home secretary.
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“While they stand up for the criminals, terrorists, people smugglers, those with no right to be in the UK, and people who threaten public safety and would do our country harm, we have never faltered and never stopped doing what is right to protect the public,” she said.
