Liz Truss has announced her resignation as prime minister. Speaking outside Downing Street, she says she has told King Charles she is resigning as leader of the Conservative Party. Downing Street statement from Liz Truss expected at 13:30. We’re expecting the prime minister to speak. It comes as more and more MPs have called for her to step down, and after a meeting with senior Tory party figures.
What’s the latest from Westminster?
Pressure is mounting on Liz Truss as the number of Tory MPs calling for her to go has risen since a difficult day in Westminster yesterday. This morning the number of MPs publicly calling for the prime minister to go has more than doubled within the space of a couple of hours. Many are wondering how long Truss can go on after the chaotic scenes in the House of Commons last night – some MPs alleged bullying happened during a fracking motion vote. This all followed PMQs and the resignation of Suella Braverman as home secretary. Truss has been speaking to 1922 chairman Sir Graham Brady in Downing Street for the best part of an hour. The pair have been joined in Number 10 by Deputy Prime Minister Therese Coffey and Tory Party chairman Jake Berry. Stay with us this afternoon as we keep you updated.
An unprecedented crisis in British politics
I’ve never seen anything like this. Let’s be clear what’s happened: yesterday Truss told us she was a fighter. But the level of chaos in government, Parliament and the Conservative Party has led Truss to a point where she knows she can’t continue. What happens now is the quickest turnover of power we have seen in modern times. This is a lightning speed change. The question is whether the Conservative Party can coalesce around a new leader and whether the party can avoid a general election. In October we are going to have our third PM of the year. This is an unprecedented situation and an unprecedented short tenure as PM and an unprecedented crisis in British politics.
Mordaunt will ‘keep calm and carry on’
Commons leader and former Tory party leadership contender Penny Mordaunt says she will “keep calm and carry on” and encourages others to do the same.
