Lizz Truss resigns as UK prime minister

After only 45 days in the position, Prime Minister Liz Truss abruptly announced her resignation. The Prime Minister said that a Tory leadership election will be held in the coming week to choose her successor.

After her government was overthrown and the majority of her economic policies were abandoned, Tory MPs pushed Ms Truss to leave.

According to Al Jazeera, Ms Truss was elected by the Conservative membership in September, but after making a number of U-turns, she was forced to resign. In a speech outside Downing Street, Ms Truss said: “I recognise that I cannot deliver the mandate on which I was elected by the Conservative Party.”

Ms Truss declared that she would stay in her position until a replacement legally assumes the role of party leader and is chosen as King Charles III’s prime minister.

When Ms Truss leaves office, she will hold the record for the shortest tenure as prime minister in British history. She took office 44 days ago. Following Ms Truss’ resignation address, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer demanded a quick election.

In her speech, Ms Truss said she entered “office at a time of great economic and international instability”, as war rages in Ukraine and living costs skyrocket. However, her retirement follows the resignation of a crucial minister, former home secretary Suella Braverman, and a disorderly parliamentary vote in which Tory MPs dissented.