Liz Truss at the Tory party conference (Aaron Chown/PA)
(Picture: PA Wire)The lectern came out into Downing Street just before 1.30pm.
Them, after just 44 days in the job, Liz Truss announced she informed the King of her resignation and will stay prime minister for a week until her successor is announced.
Truss becomes Britain’s shortest-serving prime minister after an open revolt by Tory MPs against her crisis-hit premiership after chaos in Westminster.
She announced she was going after holding talks with Sir Graham Brady, chair of the 1922 committee of Conservative MPs, and her top allies, deputy prime minister Thérèse and party chairman Jake Berry.
The Tories now face a race to choose a new leader of the bitterly divided party. Some of the frontrunners for the top job include former chancellor Rishi Sunak and Commons leader Penny Mordaunt, although current chancellor Jeremy Hunt has ruled himself out.
But, in an intriguing development, there’s suggestion Boris Johnson could be interested in a comeback, as he’s seen as a “vote-winner” by the Conservative grassroots.
It comes after home secretary Suella Braverman quit and also claims of bullying, pushing and shoving of MPs during a vote on fracking.
To dissect this historic day in Westminster, we’re joined by Evening Standard deputy political editor David Bond and Antonia Jennings, associate director of the Centre for Local Economic Strategies.
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