Liz Truss Becomes Shortest-Serving Prime Minister in UK

British Prime Minister Liz Truss announces resignationHer departure comes after only six weeks in office.Rob Pinney/Getty Images

It took Liz Truss 12 years in Parliament to reach the pinnacle of British political power. Now, after just 44 days leading the country, she has assumed the title of shortest-serving prime minister in the history of the United Kingdom.

With her resignation on Thursday, 20 October, 2022, Liz Truss has made history as the shortest-serving UK Prime Minister in history with just 44 days in office.

Truss became Prime Minister on 6 September, 2022, taking over from Boris Johnson. At worse, if she stays till the end of the month until a new PM comes in, she will just be 51 days in the position.

Truss’ tenure was overshadowed by the death of Queen Elizabeth II and the period of national mourning that followed.

Her low tax policies, which helped her win the Conservative Party leadership contest, spooked the market and precipitated a financial crisis.

She announced her resignation on Thursday after delivering a short speech outside Downing Street.

Before Truss, the person who held the title as UK’s shortest-serving PM was the Tory statesman George Canning, who spent 118 full days as Prime Minister in 1827 before dying in office from ill health.

In her resignation speech on Thursday, Truss said she came into office at a time of great economic and international instability when 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’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. I will remain as prime minister until a successor has been chosen. Thank you.”

Only eight prime ministers in the country's history have even served less than a full calendar year, but most will not recognize their names.

Viscount Goderich served only 144 days in office in 1827, Bonar Law served 211 days in 1922, and Sir Alec Douglas-Home -- the most recent former prime minister to serve less than a year -- was in power for 363 days in 1963.

Even though Truss may now have the ignominious title of shortest-ever serving prime minister, the Conservative Party still commands a strong majority in the House of Commons and the next public vote is not due until 2024.

October 20, 2022