Ms Liz Truss said on Thursday (Oct 20) she was resigning as prime minister, brought down by her economic programme that sent shockwaves through the markets and divided her Conservative Party just six weeks after she was appointed.

Her resignation came after just 44 days in office, which means she will be the shortest-serving prime minister in British history.

Liz Truss won a vote by Conservative party members by 81,326, against 60,399 for Indian-origin Rishi Sunak, who had served as finance minister under previous prime minister Boris Johnson.

Resigning from her position, Liz Truss said, “I recognise… given the situation I cannot deliver the mandate on which I was elected by the Conservative Party.”

“I cannot deliver the mandate on which I was elected,” Liz Truss said just a day after she had vowed to stay in power, saying she was “a fighter and not a quitter.”