At just 44 days, Prime Minister Liz Truss has called it quits after a hectic tenure at Downing Street. In her rockiest week since taking on the top job, the MP has now confirmed that she will step down from her premiership - meaning, among other things, she has officially been outlasted by a particularly robust lettuce.
Her tenure has seen the pound crash, inflation soaring and consequential concern from the British public about the enduring cost of living crisis. The impact on the country of the coming days, which will likely see campaigns for a general election amid Conservative Party infighting, cannot be understated.
But as chaos reigns in Westminster, we’ve taken a look at the most chaotic moments from our shortest-serving Prime Minister.
READ MORE: The wet lettuce that lasted longer than Liz Truss as Prime Minister
The lady is not for u-turning
Coming in first is one of Liz Truss’ most recent eye-watering moments. A disastrous mini-budget led the PM to sack her first Chancellor, Kwasi Kwarteng - whom she has now only outlasted by a matter of days.
The budget mayhem, which saw economic meltdown in the UK, was followed by Truss’ performed a u-turn, scrapping the controversial rise in corporation tax almost as quickly as it had been brought in.
Hit the ground pork markets
A triple-header from Truss here.
Part one: Truss’ classic appearance at the 2014 Conservative Party Conference. The then-environment, food and rural affairs secretary looked very pleased to tell the crowd: “In December, I’ll be in Beijing opening up new pork markets.”
The sentence was followed by a stare down the camera lens that wouldn’t look out of place on an episode of The Office.
Part two: More from the 2014 conference. “When it comes to British food and drink, we have never had it so good,” Ms Truss exclaimed.
But the joy was followed by devastation. "At the moment we import two-thirds of our apples. We import nine-tenths of all of our pears. We import two-thirds of our cheese,” she reminded party members.
After a long pause, she rather furiously added: “That. Is. A. Disgrace.”
Part three: Fast-forward years and Truss is in the running for the Conservative Party premiership and a chance at Downing Street.
Moments after the MP was declared to be one of the finalists, she tweeted about how she was ‘ready to hit the ground from day one’ as Prime Minister - missing the key word from the phrase… ‘running’.
Jokes about hitting the ground ensued, a favourite being the MEN’s very own Adam Maidment: “Hit the ground pork markets”
Liz Truss’ out of the blue rise tied together in single tweet *chef’s kiss*
Liz gets lost
No, that’s not a Labour slogan. Liz Truss did actually get lost leaving the room after launching her bid for leadership.
Caught short
Liz Truss found herself struggling in an interview with Andrew Neil in 2019 when he pressed her on the government’s housebuilding record.
The presenter asked the then-trade secretary how many homes the Conservatives had built since their 2015 pledge to build 200,000 starter homes in five years.
She said she did not know the number, but she knew there ‘hadn’t been as many as they would have liked’. Mr Neil said it was easy to remember: Zero.
Dear, oh dear
Taking TikTok by storm, a video of the incoming monarch meeting his first Prime Minister. A video appeared to show Liz Truss entering a room at Buckingham Palace at her first weekly audience with King Charles III before a gleefully awkward exchange.
“Your Majesty, great to see you again,” Truss said.
“Back again?” the monarch said, to which Truss replied, “Well, it's a great pleasure.”
The King could then be heard to say, “Dear, oh dear. Anyway…”
The melee for the premiership begins as hopeful candidates throw their hat in the ring for the Tory leadership race. Another wild week in Westminster awaits.
Dear, oh dear. Anyway…
Read next:
Inside the chaotic 44 days of Liz Truss as Prime Minister - and how it all fell apart
- Channel 4 presenter Krishnan Guru-Murthy caught on camera calling Tory minister 'a c**t'
- Tory grandee describes House of Commons chaos as 'inexcusable' and an 'absolute disgrace'
- Chaos in the Commons after Government wins fracking vote amid claims of bullying
Sir Keir Starmer calls for general election 'now' following resignation of Liz Truss
