Liz Truss summits list of shortest-serving UK PMs; claims unwanted historic record

Proving to be the shortest-serving Prime Minister of the United Kingdom after just 44 days in office, Liz Truss resigned as the PM on Thursday, October 20. Over the last few weeks, Truss had two of her Ministers resigning, as she lost the confidence of her MPs, and saw UK markets crashing post her proposed tax plans. 

In her speech on Thursday, Truss said that she has notified the King about her decision to resign as the PM and as the leader of the Conservative Party. Truss began her statement by saying she came to office at a time ‘of great economic and international instability.' Britain has been 'held back for too long by low economic growth', she said, and added that she was elected by her party with a mandate to change this. 

“I recognise though given the situation I cannot deliver the mandate on which I was elected by the Conservative party," Liz Truss admitted. 

Here is a list of shortest serving UK Prime Ministers 

1. Before Liz Truss, Tory George Canning was the shortest-serving prime minister of the UK. He held the job for just 119 days before dying of pneumonia in 1827.
2. Canning’s successor Frederick John Robinson, Viscount Goderich who was appointed by King George IV lasted just 144 days before quitting because he couldn’t solidify the Tory-Whig coalition at the time.
3. Sir Alec Douglas-Home, who became prime minister in October 1963, lasted just 366 days before being ousted in an election by Labour’s pipe-smoking Harold Wilson.
4. Sir Anthony Eden lasted just one year and 279 days. He was brought down by the crisis over the Suez Canal.
5. Labour’s Gordon Brown, who took over from Tony Blair on June 27, 2007, managed to stay in power for two years and 318 days.