Crisis-hit Liz Truss fled the Commons after only 29 minutes as her economic plans were torn to shreds.
The Prime Minister has been missing in action since she sacked her long-time ally Kwasi Kwarteng on Friday and U-turned on her plans to cut corporation tax.
Her new Chancellor Jeremy Hunt junked almost all of her tax cuts and scaled back the energy prince guarantee in an emergency statement earlier today - but the PM was nowhere to be seen.
Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt was sent to answer an urgent question on her behalf over why the PM had sacked Mr Kwarteng.
Ms Mordaunt, one of Ms Truss's former leadership rivals, insisted she was "not under a desk" hiding as MPs grilled her repeatedly on the PM's absence.
Shouts of "where is she?" and "weak" could be heard during an increasingly bizarre exchange, where Ms Mordaunt cryptically said that the PM had a "genuine reason" for her absence - but wouldn't say why.
A No10 source dismissed wild speculation about where she was, saying the PM was busy and Cabinet Office ministers routinely respond to this type of urgent question.
Ms Truss appeared in the Commons towards the end of Ms Mordaunt’s hour-long stint at the Despatch Box fielding questions the PM should have answered.
She skulked into the chamber and took her seat next to Mr Hunt, staring straight ahead and blinking as he trashed her mini-Budget.
Mr Hunt said he would have to take decisions of "eye watering difficulty" in the weeks ahead and vowed to publish a "credible and costed" plan to get debt down on October 31 - in a possible dig at his predecessor.
Throughout his opening statement, the PM sat sphinx-like as he ripped up her plan for power - the blueprint on which she was elected leader of the Conservatives.
Once or twice she appeared to mutter under her breath as Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves tore into Ms Truss’ handling of the economy, at one point branding the Tories "arsonists" who had done lasting damage to the economy.
Tory MPs sat stony faced while Ms Reeves was speaking, many with folded arms.
But otherwise she maintained an other-worldly stillness, seemingly detached from the self-inflicted disaster unfolding in front of her.
The lame duck PM spent just 29 minutes in the chamber, leaving to shouts of “she’s gone!” and “shocking!” from opposition MPs.
