Liz Truss Resigns as UK Prime Minister

Liz Truss, the UK Prime Minister, resigned on Thursday in a remarkable turn of events that has created political chaos in the country.

Three and a half months ago, the previous PM, Boris Johnson, also resigned from the position. After only forty-five days, Truss faces the ignominy of being the UK’s shortest-serving prime minister, The Guardian says.

It follows a turbulent forty-five days in office during which Truss’ mini-budget crashed the markets, two key ministers were lost, and she lost the confidence of almost all of her own MPs.

Truss said her successor will be elected in a Tory leadership contest to be completed the following week.

Tory MPs urged Truss to go after her government was engulfed by political turmoil since she ditched most of her economic policies.

Opposition parties called for an immediate general election, saying the Conservatives had no mandate to govern.

The full statement Liz Truss delivered outside Downing Street confirming her resignation from the position of prime minister was as follows:

I came into office at a time of great economic and international instability. Families and businesses were worried about how to pay their bills. Putin’s illegal war in Ukraine threatens the security of our whole continent. And our country has been held back for too long by low economic growth.

I was elected by the Conservative party with a mandate to change this. We delivered on energy bills and on cutting national insurance. And we set out a vision for a low tax high growth economy that would take advantage of the freedoms of Brexit.

Liz Truss: I cannot deliver the mandate

Truss further admitted that she is unable to deliver on the mandate.

“I recognize though, given the situation, I cannot deliver the mandate on which I was elected by the Conservative Party,” she said. “I have therefore spoken to His Majesty the King to notify him that I am resigning as leader of the Conservative Party.”

Truss further announced that she had met the chairman of the 1922 Committee, Sir Graham Brady, and they had agreed that there would be an upcoming election within the next week to determine who would fill the position of prime minister for the UK.

She said, “This will ensure that we remain on a path to deliver our fiscal plans and maintain our country’s economic stability and national security. I will remain as prime minister until a successor has been chosen.”