The Shortest Serving Prime Minister in British History.
Liz Truss, the embattled British prime minister, said on Thursday that she will resign from her position after serving for only 44 days.
Her attempt to cut taxes on the affluent while hiking corporate taxes resulted in financial markets falling for weeks and Truss’ turbulent tenure was plagued by a budgetary disaster and strong opposition from her own Conservative Party.
“I cannot deliver the mandate on which I was elected,” she said, a day after pledging to remain in office as “a fighter, not a quitter.”
Her fortitude broke down after her senior minister resigned and a contentious fracking proposal was voted on in the House of Commons that was supported by Truss but opposed by members of her party, prompting legislators to call for her resignation.
Days before Queen Elizabeth II passed away last month, Truss had been formally sworn in by her.
The previous short-termer in Downing Street was George Canning, who passed away while in office in 1827 after just 118 days as prime minister.
A new leader would be chosen after at least a week, according to Truss.
Her Resignation Speech:
“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 has 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 recognize, 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.”
Truss was the third prime minister to resign in as many years. In 2019, Theresa May stepped down over her failure to negotiate a divorce from the European Union.
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