Liz Truss resigns as Prime Minister
Katy Morton
Thursday, October 20, 2022
Liz Truss has this afternoon resigned her position as Prime Minister - just 44 days into the job.
Delivering a statement outside No.10 Downing Street at 1.30pm, Truss announced she is stepping down as Prime Minister, and will remain in the position for a week until a successor is chosen.
Her statement came after she met Graham Brady, the chair of the 1922 Committee of backbench Tory MPs at Downing Street, followed by her deputy PM, Thérèse Coffey, and the party chair, Jake Berry.
It means Truss, who has been under pressure from MPs to quit, will become the shortest-serving Prime Minister in UK history after being in the position for just six weeks.
Her resignation follows a series of political u-turns and after home secretary Suella Braverman quit, leaving the Conservative party in chaos.
Within her statement Truss said, ‘I recognise that, 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.
‘This morning I met the chairman of the 1922 Committee, Sir Graham Brady. We’ve agreed that there will be a leadership election to be completed within the next week. This will ensure that we remain on behalf 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.’
The Labour leader, Keir Starmer, along with the leader of the SNP party, Nicola Sturgeon, have now called for a general election.
Liz Truss' resignation speech in full
'I came into office at a time of great economic and international instability.
'Families and businesses were worried about how to pay their bills.
'Putin’s illegal war in Ukraine threatens the security of our whole continent.
'And our country had been held back for too long by low economic growth.
'I was elected by the Conservative Party with a mandate to change this.
'We delivered on energy bills and on cutting national insurance.
'And we set out a vision for a low tax, high growth economy – that would take advantage of the freedoms of Brexit.
'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.
'This morning I met the Chair of the 1922 Committee Sir Graham Brady.
'We have agreed there will be a leadership election to be completed in the next week.
'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.
'Thank you.'
