BRITISH Prime Minister Liz Truss announced her resignation Thursday, saying she came into office at a time of great economic and international instability and will not be able to deliver the mandate on which she was elected by the Conservative Party.
Truss’ resignation, coming after only 44 days in office and barely six days after she fired Finance Minister Kwasi Kwarteng, makes her the shortest-serving Prime Minister in the country’s history.
The United Kingdom (UK) prime minister resigned amid mounting political pressure and misgivings over the government’s controversial growth plan.
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In a statement read outside Downing Street, Truss said: “I recognise, though, 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.”
Kwarteng’s exit and Truss’ policy u-turns had raised questions about her own future as Prime Minister, amid growing signs of rebellion inside her party, as several senior members of the Conservative Party were allegedly planning to publicly urge her to resign.
The Prime Minister’s time in office has been dominated by market chaos prompted by the mini-budget that was announced by Kwarteng last month and despite his sack and tax cut policy reversals, her position had continued to come under pressure.
While Conservative Party rules prevent a challenge in the first 12 months of a new leader’s tenure, it was reported that a significant number of MPs had written to Sir Graham Brady, chair of the 1922 committee, to make clear they had lost confidence in the PM.
Truss was on Thursday forced to quit as UK Prime Minister, drawing to a close her tumultuous 44 days in office and a leadership election is expected to be completed within the next week.