Liz Truss Resigns Updates: Tories Want Final Two Prime Minister Candidates to Debate

Tories Want Final Two PM Candidates to Debate

Conservative leaders may hold a televised debate between the final two leadership candidates.

Tory Party Chair Sir Jake Berry told reporters Thursday that Conservative leaders are working with media outlets to arrange a debate.

Before the Parliament Members' vote ends, Berry said the party want to have "one broadcasted event so members can hear from the final two candidates."

Russian FM Slams Truss' 'Catastrophic Illiteracy'

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova welcomed U.K. Prime Minister Liz Truss' resignation announcement Thursday, saying Truss will be remembered for her "catastrophic illiteracy."

"Britain has never known such a [shameful] prime minister," Zakharova said Thursday.

"The helmet onboard the tank, the catastrophic illiteracy, and the Queen's funeral right after the audience with Truss will be what's remembered of her."

Poll Finds 64% of Britons Think Truss Was 'Terrible' Leader

A recent poll finds that a vast majority of British adults think Liz Truss has been a below average prime minister.

According to a survey from YouGov conducted on Oct. 20, more than 80 percent of adults polled think Truss has been a "poor" or "terrible" leader.

When asked "overall, do you think Liz Truss has been...," 18 percent of adults said "a poor prime minister" and 64 percent said "a terrible prime minister."

Seven percent of adults said "an average prime minister" while one percent said "a good prime minister" or "a great prime minister."

Another snap poll found that 79 percent of British adults thought Truss was right to resign, while seven percent said she was wrong to resign and 14 percent were unsure either way.

A majority of those polled also think the new prime minister should call for an early general election, with 63 percent in favor of an election and 23 percent against an election. Fifteen percent of adults "don't know" if there should be a general election or not.

Prime Minster Candidates Need 100 MP Nominations

Nominations for the race to become the next prime minister are now open.

Conservative MP Sir Graham Brady announced the opening of the nomination period Thursday afternoon. Nominations will close Monday at 2 p.m. local time.

Candidates will need at least 100 nominations from MPs to meet the threshold. If more than one candidate meets the requirements, Conservative Party members will vote online.

"We've fixed a high threshold, but a threshold that should be achievable by any serious candidate that has a realistic prospect of going through," Brady said.

He added that this threshold allows for the possibility of three candidates, at most. Brady said neither he nor the other party leaders know who those candidates will be.

When two final candidates are reached, another "indicative" ballot so it is "clear what the balance of preference within the party is," Brady said.

The process will conclude by Friday Oct. 28, Brady said.

Potential Contenders to Replace Truss as PM

There is a growing list of potential candidates to succeed Liz Truss as U.K. Prime Minister following her resignation announcement Thursday afternoon.

The ruling Conservative Party plans to choose a new prime minister by the end of next week. However, British Labour Party leader Kier Starmer, Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Liberal Democrats have joined calls for a general election.

Some of the Top Contenders Include:

Former U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is among the top potential contenders to replace Truss, according to the Associated Press. Johnson resigned just months ago, in early July, amid pressure from a series of ethics scandals.

Others topping the list include Rishi Sunak, the former Treasury chief. Sunak lost to Truss in the last leadership contest.

House of Commons leader Penny Mordaunt is also a top contender. She was appointed as the first-ever female defence secretary, a role she briefly held in 2019.

There is also speculation that U.K. Defense Secretary Ben Wallace could be a top candidate to replace Truss. Wallace is popular among many Tory party members and was seen as a favorite to replace Johnson over the summer, but decided not to do so.

This list is not exhaustive.

Truss' Brief Tenure Draws Comparison to Kardashian Marriage

Liz Truss' brief term as British Prime Minister has drawn comparison to other short-lived terms.

USA Today reporter David Oliver noted that Truss' tenure was shorter than the infamously quick marriage between Kim Kardashian and NBA player Chris Humphries.

The couple tied the knot on Aug. 20, 2011, after getting engaged after six months of dating. But after three weeks, exactly 72 days, of marriage, Kardashian filed for divorce.

Anthony Scaramucci served as White House Communication Director for only 10 days. He worked for the Trump administration from July 21, 2017 to July 31, 2017 before getting dismissed amid internal instability and changes to White House leadership under former President Donald Trump.

Scaramucci himself tweeted Thursday after Truss resigned, saying she "lasted 4.1 Scaramuccis," or 44 days.

He also noted that while Truss may not have outlasted the Daily Star's head of lettuce, she outlasted the milk in refrigerator.

"I wasn't able to do that," he tweeted.

Other Twitter users have joked that other items in their fridge have outlasted Truss' leadership.

Reporter Lydia Stephens said she "had apples in my fridge longer than Liz Truss was Prime Minister." Journalist Lorraine King said Truss stepped down but "my Guinness punch is still in the fridge."

The Twitter account Liza Minelli Outlives was quick to announce that the legendary actress has outlived Truss' time as prime minister immediately after the resignation was announced.

Radio Times editor Morgan Jeffery noted that Truss is the only prime minister to not have an episode of long-running BBC show Doctor Who since the show began in 1963.

Some users, however, pointed out that Truss will still technically be in office when the centenary special, "Doctor Who: the Power of the Doctor" airs on Sunday, Oct. 23.

Former PM Theresa May Stresses Need for 'Competent Government'

Former U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May said a "competent government" is needed in this "critical moment" for the country.

"The Prime Minister is right to provide a roadmap for an orderly transition," May tweeted shortly after Liz Truss announced her resignation Thursday afternoon.

"MPs must now be prepared to compromise. It is our duty to provide sensible, competent government at this critical moment for our country."

Video of Awkward Meeting of Truss, King Resurfaces

An awkward video of Liz Truss meeting King Charles III has resurfaced amid Truss' resignation.

Truss was invited to form a government by Queen Elizabeth II on September 6 at Balmoral, Scotland, just two days before the monarch's death. In the aftermath of the Queen's death, Truss had her first face-to-face meeting with the King.

After a curtsey, Truss said, "Your Majesty, lovely to see you again."

Charles replied, "back again," before a sharp intake of breath could be heard and the king added: "Dear oh dear, anyway, now..."

The footage then cut out as the leaders continued with their private meeting.

The awkward encounter has resurfaced online as users note the apparent snub from King Charles implying he was not happy to see Truss.

Journalist Nick Bryant wrote on Twitter: "'Dear oh dear, anyway.' King Charles meeting Liz Truss. A regal meme is born."

Robert Jobson, author of Charles at Seventy, told Newsweek that the monarch and prime minister "never say anything really noteworthy" during these encounters in front of the press.

"But you can occasionally pick up something but it's all to do with mood and what they're saying at the time," he said. "I wouldn't have thought this was his opinion on the prime minister. With all these things, normally there is no reporter there and there's just stills but with this, the camera is there."

Jobson added that Buckingham Palace and Downing Street will "need to resolve it."

"They can't keep doing this because it leaves it open to speculation," he said.

In her speech Thursday, Truss said she had already spoke to the King to notify him that she is resigning as the leader of the Conservative Party.

Buckingham Palace has not yet released a statement on Truss' resignation.

U.K. Prime Ministers With Shortest Tenures

Liz Truss is now Britain's shortest-serving Prime Minister, holding office for just 44 days. Since the end of WWII, Truss is now the fourth PM to serve less than three years in the role.

Sir Alec Douglas-Home served as U.K. Prime Minister for just shy of one year, 363 days, from 1963-1964.

Sir Anthony Eden is third on the list, having served as PM beginning in 1955 for 645 days, just over a year-and-a-half.

Boris Johnson resigned in early July of this year, after serving as PM for about three years.

The graphic below shows U.K. Prime Ministers since 1945 who have served the shortest tenures.

Conservative MP 'Not Surprised'

Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) Simon Fell said he was "not surprised" by the resignation of U.K. Prime Minister Liz Truss.

"The world is moving very quickly at the moment," Fell told Sky News Thursday afternoon. "I'm not surprised, to be perfectly honest, you know we've had a tumultuous couple of weeks. And the vote last night was, for me, the final nail in the coffin. It was just chaos."

Fell said right now is "such an uncomfortable time," adding that "stability and clarity and direction and someone in No. 10 who can calm things down," is needed. He told Sky News that it's time for a change at the top.

"Given where we are as a country, we need a fast competition," Fell said on the next steps in selecting a new prime minister. "Hopefully we can get some coalescing around a decent candidate and then we can just move forward and get on with the job of governing."

Lettuce Outlasts Truss as Part of Tabloid Gag

Liz Truss' resignation brings an end, not only to her leadership, but to a tabloid gag that began after she took office.

The Daily Star launched a campaign to see if a head of lettuce could outlast Truss' time as U.K. Prime Minister.

The tabloid started a live stream on YouTube seven days ago titled: "Will Liz Truss still be Prime Minister within the 10 day shelf-life of a lettuce?"

The stream showed a head of lettuce with googly eyes next to a photo of Truss.

This came after Truss fired her economic minister Kwasi Kwarteng and reversed her economic plan. The live stream soon went viral and the outlet is celebrating the victory today.

Now that Truss has officially resigned, the stream shows a party-like scene, with multi-color lights and bottles of champagne. Truss' photo was set face down as the new caption on screen read "This lettuce outlasted Liz Truss."

British MP Afzal Khan wrote on Twitter Thursday, "I can't believe the lettuce won."

The Daily Star called Truss' resignation "a glorious victory" for the lettuce.

"Truss, who has lost the race to see if she could outlast our 60p vegetable, today (Thursday, October 20) finally gave up on her attempt to cling to power after days of chaos at Westminster," the tabloid said in a tongue-in-cheek article.

Labour Leader Calls for General Election

British Labour Party leader Kier Starmer calls for a general election to give the country a "fresh start" amid years of "Tory failure."

"After 12 years of Tory failure, the British people deserve so much better than this revolving door of chaos," Starmer said in a statement Thursday following the the resignation of Prime Minister Liz Truss.

He noted the party set "record-high taxation," and "trashed" institutions caused a "cost-of-living crisis."

Starmer said the damage the Tory Party has done will take years to fix.

"Each one of these crises was made in Downing Street but paid for by the British public," he said. "Each one has left our country weaker and worse off."

Starmer is calling for a general election to give the British public a "proper say in the country's future."

"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," he said. "They do not have a mandate to put the country through yet another experiment."

What Led to Truss' Resignation?

Liz Truss served as U.K. Prime Minister for 44 days, a tenure that included the death of Queen Elizabeth II and turmoil sparked by a new economic plan. Below is a timeline of how we got here, summarized by Newsweek's Rob Minto.

Liz Truss Timeline: 44 Days of Chaos

• Sept 5: Truss enters 10 Downing Street as Prime Minister, after winning the vote among Conservative party members.
• Sept 6: Truss meets Queen Elizabeth II at Balmoral, Scotland.
• Sept 8: Queen Elizabeth II dies and British politics is suspended during the mourning period.
• Sept 19: Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.
• Sept 23: Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng, or Britain's finance minister, announces a 'mini-budget' with around $50 billion of uncosted tax cuts. The budget is badly received by the markets and public. The pound briefly crashes close to $1=£1, and U.K. borrowing costs rise sharply.
• Sept 28: The Bank of England announces a bond-buying program to stop turmoil in the markets that was affecting pension funds.
• Oct 3: Truss and Kwarteng reverse a proposed tax cut for the rich, what was the first of several U-turns.
• Oct 3-6: The Conservatives hold the annual party conference. Truss gives a speech that is widely derided by commentators as failing to address the problems from the mini-budget.
• Oct 14: Truss fires Kwarteng and installs Jeremy Hunt as chancellor. Hunt immediately scraps almost all of the mini-budget measures. Markets stabilize, but Truss is seen as having little authority with Hunt in control of government agenda.
• Oct 19: Home Secretary Suella Braverman quits after sending a document on her private phone. Her resignation letter critizes Truss openly.
• Oct 19: Chaos in the House of Commons as a vote on fracking descends into allegations of physical intimidation of MPs.
• Oct 20: Truss announces resignation on Thursday afternoon; a new Prime Minister to be found within a week.

Poll Finds 80% of British Adults View Truss Unfavorably

Prime Minister Liz Truss has resigned amid low approval ratings among the British people.

A recent YouGov survey, conducted between Oct. 14 and 16, found that just 10 percent of the British public have a favorable impression of Truss. This is down from 15 percent in a survey conducted days earlier.

Four out of five British adults, or about 80 percent, now view Truss unfavorably, with 62 percent viewing her as very unfavorably.

Truss' net favorability score is at -70, a 14-point drop since last week. This comes after she released her economic plan and fired her finance minister.

Truss is currently more unpopular than her predecessor Boris Johnson and party leadership contest rival Rishi Sunak.

The Conservative Party as a whole has a higher favorability score than the prime minister. The party has a net favorability score of -53, down from -44 in the previous poll. About 18 percent of the British public consider the party favorably, down from 22 percent earlier this month.

Biden Thanks Truss for Partnership Amid Ukraine War

U.S. President Joe Biden thanks Liz Truss for her partnership amid her short time in office as Britain's Prime Minister.

"The United States and the United Kingdom are strong Allies and enduring friends — and that fact will never change," Biden said in a statement Thursday.

Biden thanked Truss for her work on a range of issues, including the ongoing war in Ukraine.

"I thank Prime Minister Liz Truss for her partnership on a range of issues including holding Russia accountable for its war against Ukraine," he said.

The White House said it will continue it's "close cooperation" with the United Kingdom to meet enduring global challenges.

Truss to Remain PM Until Successor is Chosen

U.K. Prime Minister Liz Truss announced her resignation on Thursday, a position she has held only since September 6.

Truss made the announcement from outside the steps of Number 10 Downing Street this afternoon, saying she "cannot deliver the mandate on which I was elected by the Conservative Party."

Truss said a leadership election would be completed in the next week and that she will remain Prime Minister until a successor has been chosen.

Here's what Truss said in her resignation announcement:

"I came into office at a time of great economic and international instability. Families and businesses were worried about how to pay their bills. Putin's illegal war in Ukraine threatens the security of our whole continent. And our country had been held back for too long by low economic growth.

I was elected by the Conservative Party with a mandate to change this. We delivered on energy bills and on cutting national insurance. And we set out a vision for a low tax, high growth economy – that would take advantage of the freedoms of Brexit. I recognise though, given the situation, I cannot deliver the mandate on which I was elected by the Conservative Party.

I have therefore spoken to His Majesty The King to notify him that I am resigning as Leader of the Conservative Party. This morning I met the Chair of the 1922 Committee Sir Graham Brady. We have agreed there will be a leadership election to be completed in the next week.

This will ensure we remain on a path to deliver our fiscal plans and maintain our country's economic stability and national security. I will remain as Prime Minister until a successor has been chosen.

Thank you."

New Prime Minister Could be Elected by Next Week

A new prime minister could be in office by the end of next week, according to Conservative Party leadership.

Member of Parliament Graham Brady, the chairman of the 1922 Committee representing rank-and-file Conservative Members of Parliament, said Liz Truss' replacement could be in place by October 28.

"It will be possible to conduct a ballot and conclude a leadership election by Friday 28 October," Brady told reporters outside the House of Commons Thursday following Truss' resignation.

This would ensure new leadership ahead of the British finance minister gives a crucial economic statement on October 31. In her resignation speech Thursday, Truss also said that a leadership election would be completed in the next week.

Could Boris Johnson Return as Prime Minister?

U.K. Prime Minister Liz Truss resigned after just 44 days in office, taking over the position from Boris Johnson.

Johnson resigned as Prime Minister in July amid scandal. He remains the MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip, a position he has served since 2015.

He was also named the new president of the Conservative Friends of Ukraine group.

Following Truss' announcement, several reports indicate that Johnson will put his name in the running to replace her.

According to Steven Swinford, the politic editor of the U.K. outlet The Times and The Sunday Times, Johnson is expected to stand in the Tory Party leadership contest. Reports say Johnson is "taking sounding" from key allies about his run.

While he survived a no-confidence vote, Johnson lost the support of significant party members after news of the "partygate" scandal that detailed several parties held in his Downing Street office during COVID-19 lockdowns, skirting coronavirus safety protocols.

Johnson also came under fire for allegedly ignoring sexual misconduct allegations against a Conservative lawmaker he appointed to a senior government position.

There was mass resignation of more than 50 members of Johnson's government, including senior ministers and key allies 48 hours before he resigned.