UK Prime Minister Liz Truss has announced her resignation after 44 days in office.
Gatekeepers News reports that Truss announced her resignation Thursday after six turbulent weeks in office, making her one of the shortest-serving prime ministers in British history.
Truss, Britain’s third female prime minister, was unable to save her embattled premiership even though she ditched her entire economic plan and replaced two key Cabinet posts over the past week.
In front of her residence and Downing Street, Truss said, “I cannot deliver the mandate for which I have been elected by the Conservative Party. I spoke to the king and notified him that I was resigning.”
She added that she would remain Prime Minister until a successor is chosen next week.
Truss has only been in office for 44 days, the previous record-holder for the shortest-serving prime minister was George Canning, who lasted 119 days. He started on April 12, 1827, and died on Aug. 8, 1827.
Under Truss’ leadership, the poll ratings for the Conservative Party have tanked. If there was an election today, the Conservatives would almost be annihilated.
YouGov, the pollster, said that she was the most unpopular Prime Minister the organisation has ever tracked.
She came to office with a vision for a low-tax, small-government state. However, her plans, which included billions of unfunded tax cuts, spooked the markets and sent the pound plunging. It wasn’t long before she was forced to jettison her agenda and fire her chancellor.
It was unclear who exactly would take over from Truss. Some commentators speculated that Jeremy Hunt, the chancellor who many were calling the de facto prime minister, could be called on to be a caretaker leader.
On Thursday morning at least 16 of Truss’s lawmakers went on the record calling for her to resign following a chaotic and confusing 24 hours, which saw claims of bullying in Parliament and the resignation of the home secretary.
