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After only six weeks in office, Liz Truss' time as British Prime Minister is already over.
The 47-year-old announced her resignation on Thursday.
Liz Truss, British Prime Minister:
“I am aware that in this position I cannot fulfill the mandate with which I was elected by the Conservative Party. I have therefore spoken to His Majesty the King to inform him that I am resigning as leader of the Conservative Party.”
The resignation follows chaotic days.
The prime minister has been under massive criticism for a long time, and most recently she has faced opposition from her own ranks – but above all from the opposition.
Labor leader Keir Starmer took on the prime minister on Wednesday in Parliament.
Keir Starmer, Labor Party:
'I've got the list here: 45 percent tax cut - crossed out. Corporate tax reduction – deleted. 20 percent tax cut – deleted. Two-year freeze on energy prices – removed. Tax-free shopping – deleted. Economic credibility – deleted. And her supposed best friend, the former finance minister – gone too. It's all gone. So why is she still here?'
Liz Truss, British Prime Minister:
"Mr. Speaker, I'm a fighter, not a slacker. I acted in the interest of the nation to ensure economic stability in the country."
Liz Truss only succeeded Boris Johnson in early September.
In this short time, the 47-year-old caused even more excitement than her controversial predecessor.
After a few days of political rest - the country was in mourning for the Queen - she set about the task of uniting the conservative party.
And she promised the British to boost the economy.
Liz Truss, British Prime Minister:
»I have three priorities for our economy: growth, growth and growth.«
The idea of Truss and her finance minister Kwasi Kwarteng: radical tax breaks should lead directly to economic growth.
How the government intended to raise the necessary £45 billion without incurring massive debts was left open.
The project turned out to be a pipe dream and failed with a bang: the pound plummeted – to its lowest level in 37 years.
Truss had to react.
Despite long protestations to the contrary, she eventually fired her close ally, Kwasi Kwarteng, and appointed former Secretary of State Jeremy Hunt as his successor.
Three days later, last Monday, Hunt went for a leisurely jog early in the morning, only to cash in completely on the Prime Minister's controversial tax plans.
Jeremy Hunt, British Chancellor of the Exchequer:
"No government can control the markets, but any government can provide clarity on the stability of public finances, and that is one of the many factors affecting how markets behave."
Again, Liz Truss had no choice: she had to apologize publicly.
Liz Truss, British Prime Minister:
'I admit we made mistakes and I'm sorry. But I fixed the mistakes, I appointed a new finance minister, we restored economic stability and fiscal discipline. And now I want to go ahead and do something for the people.«
Interior Secretary Suella Braverman resigned on Wednesday.
The prime minister appointed former transport minister Grant Shapps, who until recently had been one of her opponents, to succeed him.
This second cabinet change in a few days was followed by chaotic votes in the House of Commons this Wednesday and reports of more alleged resignations.
As hard as Liz Truss fought to the end, her government showed more and more signs of decay.
Even US President Joe Biden had recognized from afar that Liz Truss' economic policy decisions could be counterproductive.
Joe Biden, US President:
'The idea of lowering taxes on the super-rich at a time when . . . whatever. I don't agree with that policy, but that's for Britain to judge, not me."
Liz Truss did not want to know about a resignation until the end.
It should have been clear to her long ago that 180-degree U-turns, as in the case of the tax cuts she is planning, will never go down well.
Liz Truss will now only remain prime minister until a successor is found.
In the face of the government chaos, the opposition called for new elections instead of another mere replacement of the Tory leadership.
It's clear why: due to the chaos, the Conservatives have lost massive support.
According to polls, they are now about 30 percentage points behind the opposition Labor Party.
