Liz Truss has resigned as Prime Minister after just 45 days in office and announces a leadership election within a week in her leaving statement.
In a statement outside Downing Street she said:
“I cannot deliver the mandate on which I was elected by the Conservative Party”
She said that she and 1922 Committee chair Graham Brady had “agreed that there will be a leadership election to be completed within the next week”, which would “ensure that we remain on a path to deliver our fiscal plans and maintain our country’s economic stability and national security”, Truss said.
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has confirmed that he will not stand in the race to succeed her,along with former cabinet member Michael Gove
There are rumours that Boris Johnson is considering standing in any leadership election
Sir Keir Starmer responded to Ms Truss’s resignation by repeating his call for an immediate general election as he said the “British public deserve a proper say on the country’s future”.
The Lib Dems and SNP have also called for an election.
The details of the contest are just being finalised at an emergency meeting of the Tory party board but it is believed that Candidates are expected to need the backing of 100 Tory MPs to run, five times the usual amount
