Liz Truss Resigns: Shortest Ruling PM in the UK

Meridean Overseas

Updated On 21 October 2022 & Read Time 2 minutes

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Overview

Liz Truss resigned after her short-lived but chaotic tenure as the UK Prime Minister. She held the office for 45 days, making her the shortest-ruling prime minister in UK’s history. This decision has delivered a massive blow to the ruling Conservative Party, which is now behind the Labour Party in polls after more than twelve years in power. Truss will hold the office till the Party chooses her successor in a week.

Table of Contents

Overview
Why did Liz Truss Resign?
Who Will be the Next PM in UK?

Why did Liz Truss Resign?

British politics has been in shambles since the 2016 Brexit referendum. In this uncertain political and economic climate, Truss announced an economic programme that demanded massive tax cuts. The UK is facing the strongest inflation of the last four decades. Truss’ 45 billion pound package for tax cuts was a significant hit to the British economy and a failure on her part. Her lack of political instinct and financial understanding led to the crash of the pound and British bonds.

Who Will be the Next PM in UK?

The Conservative Party will choose Liz Truss’ successor in a week. Jeremy Hunt, Rishi Sunak, and Suella Braverman are the most obvious choices for the next Prime Minister of UK. Penny Mordaunt, Kemi Badenoch and Tom Tugendhat will also be considered.

NEXT PM OF UK - TOP CONTENDERS
Name	Position
Jeremy Hunt	Replaced Kwasi Kwarteng as the Chancellor of the Exchequer under Truss
Rishi Sunak	Former Chancellor and runner-up to Truss in this summer's leadership contest
Suella Braverman	Former Home Secretary, sacked on October 19 for a technical breach of ministerial rules

Liz Truss already came in power with a narrow margin of votes. Her failure to stay in power reflects the state of the Conservative party. Her position in the party was weak, especially after Braverman’s dismissal, which disappointed the right in the party. Whoever the Party appoints as Liz’s successor will have a lot of damage control to do. The aftermath of Truss’ uninformed actions clouds any view of the Conservative Party’s status in the coming days.