Then we hear it – that on her 45th day in power she is resigning.
“I came into office at a time of great economic and international instability,” she said. “Families and businesses were worried about how to pay their bills.”
Ms Truss added that she was elected “with a mandate to change this” – saying: “We delivered on energy bills, and on cutting National Insurance.”
She says she now recognises she “cannot deliver the mandate” on which she was elected – “given the situation”.
Ms Truss has spoken to King Charles to tender her resignation, she said.
There will be a leadership election “to be completed within the next week”.
Ms Truss said “this will ensure we remain on a path to deliver our fiscal plans”.
She will remain as prime minister until a successor has been chosen.
Ms Truss added that she was elected “with a mandate to change this” – saying: “We delivered on energy bills, and on cutting National Insurance.”
She says she now recognises she “cannot deliver the mandate” on which she was elected – “given the situation”.
Ms Truss has spoken to King Charles to tender her resignation, she said.
There will be a leadership election “to be completed within the next week”.
Ms Truss said “this will ensure we remain on a path to deliver our fiscal plans”.
She will remain as prime minister until a successor has been chosen.
Labour and Liberal Democrats call for general election
Sir Keir Starmer, the leader of the Labour Party, has called for a general election.
The leader of the Liberal Democrats, Sir Ed Davey, joined the calls.
Sir Keir said: “The Conservative Party has shown it no longer has a mandate to govern.
“After 12 years of Tory failure, the British people deserve so much better than this revolving door of chaos. In the last few years, the Tories have set record-high taxation, trashed our institutions and created a cost-of-living crisis. Now, they have crashed the economy so badly that people are facing £500 a month extra on their mortgages. The damage they have done will take years to fix.
“Each one of these crises was made in Downing Street but paid for by the British public. Each one has left our country weaker and worse off.
“The Tories cannot respond to their latest shambles by yet again simply clicking their fingers and shuffling the people at the top without the consent of the British people. They do not have a mandate to put the country through yet another experiment; Britain is not their personal fiefdom to run how they wish.
“The British public deserve a proper say on the country’s future. They must have the chance to compare the Tories’ chaos with Labour’s plans to sort out their mess, grow the economy for working people and rebuild the country for a fairer, greener future. We must have a chance at a fresh start. We need a general election – now.”
Lib Dem leader Sir Ed said: “Boris Johnson failed our country and Liz Truss trashed our economy. The Conservatives have proven time and time again they are not fit to lead our great country.
“We do not need another Conservative prime minister lurching from crisis to crisis, we need a general election, we need the Conservatives out of power and we need real change.
“It is time for Conservative MPs to do their patriotic duty, put the country first and give the people a say.”
