Liz Truss has just resigned as Prime Minister
Liz Truss has confirmed a leadership election will take place next week after she dramatically resigned as prime minister.
The beleaguered Tory leader has become the shortest ever serving PM after a whirlwind 44 days in Downing Street.
Speaking outside the doors to Number 10, Ms Truss accepted she could not deliver the promises she made in her leadership campaign, having lost the faith of her party.
‘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,’ she said.
‘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 a path to deliver our fiscal plans and maintain our country’s economic stability and national security.’
The short time frame of the leadership election suggests it will be decided by the parliamentary party and not by Tory members.
Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, yesterday gave a thinly veiled swipe at the PM’s ‘mistakes’ in office after she was sacked, before chaos and allegations of ‘manhandling’ took hold in Westminster over a fracking vote.
A flurry of no confidence letters were then sent to the 1922 backbench committee, triggering her downfall.
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Liz Truss’s resignation statement
‘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 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 chairman of the 1922 Committee, Sir Graham Brady. We have agreed that there will be a leadership election to be completed within the next week.
‘This will ensure that 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.’
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Liz Truss has confirmed a leadership election will take place next week after she dramatically resigned as prime minister.