Beleaguered British Prime Minister Liz Truss resigned today after several members of Conservative Party called for her to resign. With this development former chancellor Rishi Sunak is back in the race to 10 Downing Street. At least 13 Tory MPs had called for Truss to resign. While technically she cannot be removed for at least 12 months, the rebellion had grown so strong that apparently an ultimatum was given to her.
Liz Truss resigned after serving for 44 days as the Prime Minister. She served one of the shortest tenures. The move comes amid the collapse of her government due to gross economic mismanagement. Sunak ran against Truss in the Conservative leadership election and is a key contender for the post. New chancellor Jeremy Hunt is another favourite for the PM’s seat.
At the same time, one cannot forget the fact that those in the Boris Johnson camp want him back as the Prime Minister. He had a solid electoral mandate from the 2019 general election. Truss’ exit follows the same pattern as Johnson’s. He was dragged out of the office in a very similar way in early July. He too faced revolt from his ministers.
Truss’ last tweet read: “We are protecting the triple lock on pensions to ensure pensioners get the most generous support, as well as providing extra support with their energy bills.”
She quits office within a day of announcing her determination to continue in the office. She had said that would not quit as she is a fighter not a quitter.