Liz Truss has become the shortest serving Prime Minister after she announced her intention to resign on Thursday, October 20, 2022
In another setback for United Kingdom (UK.), Liz Truss has become the shortest serving Prime Minister after she announced her intention to resign on Thursday, October 20, 2022.
She said she will stand down as Leader of the Conservative Party after her policies triggered economic turmoil and sharply divided the Party. Speaking outside her Downing Street Office, she said that she could not deliver the promises she made when she was running for Conservative Leader, having lost the faith of her Party.
After serving as the Prime Minister of U.K. for 6 weeks, she said would step aside for a new leader to be chosen within the next week, after a growing number of her own Conservative Party’s lawmakers said they could not support her any longer.
Speaking on the occasion, Truss said, “Given the situation, I cannot deliver the mandate on which I was elected by the Conservative Party. I have therefore spoken to His Majesty The King to notify him that I am resigning as Leader of the Conservative Party.”
Taking it to twitter, Truss tweeted,
I recognise however that, given the situation, I cannot deliver the mandate on which I was elected by the Conservative Party.
— Liz Truss (@trussliz) October 20, 2022
I have therefore spoken to His Majesty The King to notify him that I am resigning as Leader of the Conservative Party.
She further tweeted,
There will be a leadership election to be completed in the next week.
— Liz Truss (@trussliz) October 20, 2022
This will ensure 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.
U.K., which was already struggling with the economic implications of Brexit, Coronavirus (COVID-19) and rising inflation triggered by rising energy bills, food items and household cost, has been finding it hard to form a stable Government that can drive U.K. out of economic difficulties. A record rise in U.K. Government bond prices sent borrowing costs surging and forced the Bank of England to make three successive interventions to rescue overstretched pension funds. The pound at one point hit an all-time low against the United States (U.S.) dollar.
Candidates to replace Truss will need at least 100 nominations from British Conservative lawmakers. The threshold allows for the possibility of a maximum of 3 candidates. There would be an online vote for Conservative Party members if two candidates make it through the Parliamentary stages.
A day before her resignation, i.e., Wednesday, October 19, 2022, she lost another top official when Home Secretary – Suella Braverman dramatically quit just a few weeks into the job, using her letter of resignation to launch a blistering attack on the prime minister’s leadership.
Making a bad day even worse, chaotic scenes unfolded in the Parliament on Wednesday evening during a vote on whether to ban controversial fracking for shale gas. Lawmakers reported that aides for Truss had manhandled MPs into the voting lobby to force them to vote against the ban proposed by the opposition Labour Party. Politicians in the lobby tweeted eyewitness accounts alleging that MPs were being physically dragged to vote in the Government lobby, amid angry scenes of shouting and altercation.
Meanwhile, there are reports that Boris Johnson might stand in the leadership contest. Newly appointed Home Secretary – Grant Shapps could also contest. Another contestant could be Kemi Badenoch, who came 4th in the last leadership contest. The new Prime Minister will be the third since the last general election in December 2019 and the 5th since the Conservatives came into power in 2010. The new Prime Minister of U.K. will be the first one to be appointed by King Charles III.
