Liz Truss has announced her resignation as prime minister after a disastrous time in charge that lasted less than two months.
This term has been the shortest ever period in 10 Downing Street by a prime minister at just 44 days in office.
Truss said that she realised that she could not deliver on the mandate given to her, and as such has decided to step down after conversations with Graham Brady of the 1922 Committee.
There will now be a leadership election within a week, with Truss remaining as prime minister until a successor is chosen.
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During her time in charge, Truss oversaw a calamitous mini-budget that eventually led to her first Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng losing his job.
That budget saw a radical programme of tax cuts rolled out across the board but was largely criticised for offering tax cuts to the wealthiest people in the UK in the name of ‘economic growth’ whilst offering little help to the most vulnerable and those on low incomes.
In the end, the government was forced into a dispiriting U-turn on its flagship 45p income tax cut, which ultimately led to Kwarteng losing his position.
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After the appointment of Jeremy Hunt to the position of Chancellor, he set about further rolling back on many of the government’s other financial policies set out in the mini-budget, leaving very little on record for the list of achievements under Truss, though she will point to the Energy Price Cap that was brought in to combat spiralling energy costs this winter – although that has since been announced as only extending until April.
Then, Suella Braverman quit as Home Secretary, announcing that she was officially stepping down due to impropriety in sending emails from a personal account rather than her ministerial one.
However, in her resignation letter, she laid into Truss’ government, stating: “Pretending we haven’t made mistakes, carrying on as if everyone can’t see that we have made them, and hoping that things will magically come right is not serious politics.
“I have made a mistake; I accept responsibility; I resign.”
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She added: “I have concerns about the direction of this government.
“Not only have we broken key pledges that were promised to our voters, but I have had serious concerns about this government’s commitment to honouring manifesto commitments, such as reducing overall migration numbers and stopping illegal migration, particularly the dangerous small boats crossings.”
She added: “It has been a great honour to serve at the Home Office.
“In even the brief time that I have been here, it has been very clear that there is much to do, in terms of delivering on the priorities of the British people.
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“They deserve policing they can respect, an immigration policy they want and voted for in such unambiguous numbers at the last election, and laws which serve the public good, and not the interests of selfish protestors.”
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer also laid into Truss at Prime Minister’s Questions, asking whether a book about Truss’ government which is ‘out by Christmas’ was the release date or the title.
The Daily Star even set up a race between Liz Truss and a lettuce on YouTube to see which would outlast the other.
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That lettuce must be feeling pretty good about itself just now.
Tom Wood