U.K. opposition parties heaped pressure on the government to call a general election after Liz Truss said she was quitting as prime minister following just 44 days.
Truss, who entered office through a leadership vote following the ousting of Boris Johnson earlier this year, is staying on as premier until the ruling Conservative Party picks a successor, which it aims to do by Oct. 28. That means the next leader will be the second in quick succession without a public mandate.
Labour leader Keir Starmer said this was unacceptable and blasted the Conservatives in an emailed statement for “shuffling the people at the top without the consent of the British people.”
“We need a general election — now,” Starmer said.
The Liberal Democrats also demanded a general election. “It is time for Conservative MPs to do their patriotic duty, put the country first and give the people a say,” leader Ed Davey said in a statement.
Truss’s short and chaotic stint in office has left the Conservative Party and UK economy badly damaged just as inflation and surging energy prices are biting household budgets. The next general election isn’t expected until 2024, but polls showing the Tories languishing more than 30 points behind Labour after 12 1/2 years in power point to growing public appetite for a change in governance.
Ultimately, a general election would only be called if a new prime minister or enough Tory MPs decided they wanted one, and at the moment that’s the last thing Tories want given the current polls.
The Conservative party will hope that by electing a “unity” leader — in a much shorter time period than the six-week leadership contest that took place over the summer — they can bring some stability back to British politics and financial markets. Frontrunners include former Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak and also Johnson, who could run again according to reports Thursday.
