Truss in numbers: What did the prime minister accomplish during her time in office?
Liz Truss is set to be the shortest-serving prime minister in British history.
She said she will remain in office until a successor is chosen.
The results of that leadership election will be announced on Friday next week, so Ms Truss’s tenure will be shorter than previous the record holder George Canning – a record that he held for almost 200 years.
Mr Canning’s 1827 premiership lasted just 118 days, cut short by his death from tuberculosis. When Ms Truss leaves office next Friday she will have lasted 66 days fewer.
Despite being the shortest-serving prime minister, the death of the Queen two days after she started means Ms Truss is the first in 70 years to serve under two different monarchs.
Public opinion
One of the reasons for Ms Truss’s rapid departure is because of her party’s position in the polls since she took office.
Labour’s lead over the Conservatives has not been higher since January 1998, shortly after Tony Blair became prime minister.
If an election was held today, polls suggest that more than half of people in the UK would back Sir Keir Starmer’s party while fewer than a quarter would vote Conservative.
Ms Truss’s personal approval rating became very low, very quickly, reaching -51 on 8 October. Just 16% of people said they were satisfied with her performance, while 67% said they were unsatisfied.
That’s worse than the levels ever reached by Boris Johnson, despite his longer time in power. It’s the lowest rating since Gordon Brown reached the same level in July 2008 during the depths of the financial crisis.
Political instability
The prime minister’s six weeks in office were defined by political turmoil and the resignation of her two most senior ministers.
Kwasi Kwarteng’s resignation after just 38 days in the Treasury makes him the second shortest-serving chancellor since 1945.
And when Suella Braverman resigned on Wednesday she became only the second home secretary to serve for fewer than 50 days since the office was established in 1782.
Changes in personnel during Ms Truss’s short time in office were matched by frequent changes in policy.
Taking office on 6 September, her first day, Liz Truss said that her priorities would be growing the economy through “tax cuts and reform”, dealing “hands on” with the energy crisis, and improving access to the NHS.
Though her premiership was brief, Ms Truss and her first chancellor, Mr Kwarteng, announced a number of significant tax cuts and a major package of support to help households cope with the energy crisis.
Her legacy will be more limited, however, as on Monday Ms Truss’s second chancellor Jeremy Hunt cancelled nearly all of Mr Kwarteng’s tax-cutting measures, as well as his plans to extend the current energy price guarantee beyond April 2023.
What still remains of her policy announcements are a limited energy support package, the cancelled rise to National Insurance, the uplift to the stamp duty threshold, and the ability of bankers to receive bonuses more than double their salary.
Economic turmoil
Another big reason that Ms Truss was forced to resign was her impact on the economy.
Markets reacted negatively to the agenda she and Mr Kwarteng revealed on 23 September – to the policies themselves and the government’s decision not to submit it for scrutiny to the Office for Budget Responsibility, the UK’s independent fiscal watchdog.
The mini-budget’s negative reception among international investors led to a sharp fall in the value of the pound against the US dollar.
The exchange rate reached an all-time low of $1.03 to the pound on 26 September, three days after the mini-budget, before rallying over subsequent weeks thanks in part to a response by the Bank of England.
Market volatility and the possibility of a sharp increase in central bank interest rates also led to a surge in predicted interest rates.
Hundreds of mortgage products were withdrawn altogether by lenders, and borrowers on variable rates are facing the prospect of mortgage repayment rises of potentially hundreds or thousands of pounds a month.
Since Jeremy Hunt became chancellor, the predictions for next year have lowered slightly but are still higher than had been expected when Ms Truss became prime minister.
We’ve mentioned many issues caused by Ms Truss’s policies, but it is worth remembering that there are other problems in dire need of attention.
Given the chaos at Westminster in the weeks before Boris Johnson’s resignation three months ago, it’s difficult to argue that there has been an effective government in place in Britain since the summer.
The NHS treatment waiting list reached another record high in figures announced last week – one in eight people are now waiting for treatment.
People are waiting longer than ever for cancer care, for ambulances and in A&E, even before we get to the winter period when effective healthcare typically becomes even more difficult.
What have people been saying on social media?
One of the reasons some MPs were said to be reluctant to remove Liz Truss was that more political instability would mean more delays.
But some members of the public expressing their views on social media on Thursday didn’t seem too sorry to see her go.
The following mind maps were generated using data gathered by Talkwalker, a social listening company, based on Twitter, Tik Tok and YouTube posts from users in the UK.
In the past 24 hours (up to 4pm today), some of the most popular main phrases being posted about Liz Truss include “economic strain”, “desperate attempt”, “ordinary people” and “anti-democratic disgrace”.
Other slightly less frequent phrases include: “cold homes” (referring to concerns over heating costs), “utter chaos” and “dark days”.
What people were saying about Liz Truss when she became prime minister on 6 September. Sky News/Talkwalker
“Compassionate Conservatives” is also trending, but when looking at the posts in context they are overwhelmingly using this phrase with either sarcasm or to say the Conservatives are not compassionate.
It is a similar case with the phrase “huge congratulations”, with posters appearing to give sarcastic well-wishes to Ms Truss.
But how does this compare to Liz Truss’s first day in office?
Phrases on 6 September are much more varied and reflect a number of other issues in the news at the time, such as migrants crossing the channel in “small boats” and concerns around the energy crisis, the economic situation and poverty.
Phrases referring directly to Mrs Truss’s appointment as prime minister include both “bleak start” and “fresh start” (mostly people saying they believe Ms Truss is not a fresh start), as well as “low expectations”.
What people were saying about Liz Truss when she resigned as prime minister on 20 October. Sky News/Talkwalker
Some posts are positive, with some praising the prime minister’s handling of the media that day as a sign the country was in “safe hands”.
The Data and Forensics team is a multi-skilled unit dedicated to providing transparent journalism from Sky News.
We gather, analyse and visualise data to tell data-driven stories. We combine traditional reporting skills with advanced analysis of satellite images, social media and other open source information. Through multimedia storytelling we aim to better explain the world while also showing how our journalism is done.
World
Europe must ‘ramp up’ pressure on Russia, says No 10 after Coalition of the Willing meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Europe must “ramp up” pressure on Russia “to bring an end to this barbaric war”, a Downing Street spokesperson said after Sir Keir Starmer chaired a meeting with the Coalition of the Willing.
Earlier, the prime minister met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at Downing Street for crisis talks on the future of Ukraine.
After the Downing Street meeting, a spokesperson said Sir Keir “convened a call with other European allies alongside President Zelenskyy”.
“The leaders all agreed that now is a critical moment and that we must continue to ramp up support to Ukraine and economic pressure on Putin to bring an end to this barbaric war.”
Ukraine latest: ‘Critical stage’ in push for peace
Friedrich Merz, Sir Keir Starmer, Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Emmanuel Macron at Downing Street. Pic: Reuters
During the earlier meeting, the Downing Street spokesperson said that the leaders “discussed the importance of the US-led peace talks for European security and supported the progress made”.
All four “underscored the need for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, which includes robust security guarantees,” the spokesperson added.
“The leaders agreed that, while diplomatic efforts continue, Europe must stand with Ukraine, strengthening its ability to defend against relentless attacks that have left thousands without heat or light,” they said.
“They also discussed positive progress made to use immobilised Russian sovereign assets to support Ukraine’s reconstruction.”
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Mr Zelenskyy arrives at Downing Street
After arriving in the UK, Mr Zelenskyy said in a post on Telegram that “we are joining our efforts to end this war with a decent peace for Ukraine” and that “security must be guaranteed”.
He later said: “We can’t manage without Americans, we can’t manage without Europe and that is why we need to make some important decisions.”
The discussions come as US President Donald Trump accused Mr Zelenskyy of having failed to read the latest peace plan.
He said he was “a little disappointed” in the Ukrainian leader, while insisting Russia’s Vladimir Putin was “fine with it”.
Mr Trump’s eldest son had earlier told Sky’s lead world news presenter Yalda Hakim in an interview that his father may walk away from the Ukraine peace process.
When asked directly if he believed the US president would walk away from Ukraine, he answered: “I think he may, what’s good about my father and what’s unique about my father is you don’t know what he’s going to do. He’s unpredictable.”
Pic: Reuters
Sir Keir had earlier insisted any ceasefire must be “just” and “lasting”, adding: “We are at a critical stage in the push for peace.
“The principles remain the same. We stand with Ukraine, and if there is to be a ceasefire, it needs to be a just and lasting ceasefire.”
Mr Macron had insisted Ukraine’s allies have “a lot of cards” – but the main issue was to “finalise these peace negotiations” and find the “best possible conditions for Ukraine, for the Europeans, and for collective security”.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Why the meeting in London is important
Moments after arriving at Downing Street, Mr Merz said he was “sceptical about some of the details in documents coming from the US” but that was one of the reasons for Monday’s talks.
The four European leaders emerged from Downing Street at around 2.20pm for a group photo – but declined to answer any questions from the media.
Sir Keir and Mr Zelenskyy then went back inside the prime minister’s residence for further talks while Mr Macron and Mr Merz departed.
Read more from Sky News:
Paramount launches hostile takeover bid for Warner Bros
Host of British stars nominated for Golden Globes
The London meeting comes after Mr Zelenskyy’s officials concluded three days of talks with US diplomats.
Over the weekend, Mr Zelenskyy said he had discussed “next steps” with Mr Trump’s advisers and was “determined to keep working in good faith”.
According to Vatican sources, the Ukrainian president will next meet with Pope Leo at Castel Gandolfo, the papal residence outside of Rome, on Tuesday morning.
World
Israeli government accused of intimidation and harassment after raid on UN building in Jerusalem
The Israeli government has been accused of intimidation, harassment and a “blatant disregard” of its obligations by the United Nations after Israeli officials raided a UN building in Jerusalem.
Police officers, along with officials from the town council, entered the East Jerusalem compound of UNRWA, the UN agency that provides services to Palestinian refugees.
The compound has been empty since January, when the Israeli government ordered UNRWA to close the building, accusing the agency of being “infested” with members of Hamas.
The United Nations denied that accusation vehemently.
Read more: What were UNRWA workers in Gaza accused of?
Having gained entry to the compound, the officials filled vehicles with possessions, including office furniture, and raised an Israeli flag in place of the United Nations flag.
They claimed that the building had been raided because UNRWA owed around hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of local taxes.
However, under the UN charter, UN buildings are exempt from such taxes and are also considered “inviolable”, meaning that, rather than raiding the building, Israel has an obligation to protect it.
Since its staff were told to leave, there have been attempts to break into the compound, which has been secured by a team of guards employed by the UN.
Sky News has been told that, when the Israeli officials arrived on Monday morning, the security guards were detained in a room within the compound.
“We didn’t let them in when they first came to the compound, but they cut the chains and the locks and took control,” said George, the head of security, who was standing outside the front gate when we arrived.
“They told my guards to stay in one room, took their phones from them, and told them they couldn’t leave.”
‘The false accusations led to this’
UNRWA’s commissioner-general, Philippe Lazzarini, said the raid was “a blatant disregard of Israel’s obligation as a United Nations Member State to protect and respect the inviolability of UN premises”.
He said that failing to cooperate with UN agencies “represent a new challenge to international law, one that creates a dangerous precedent anywhere else the UN is present across the world”.
His anger was not isolated. Outside the gates of the UNRWA compound, we met Hakam Shahwam, who used to work here as UNRWA’s chief of staff. It was, he said, “a very sad day”.
Shahwam says the claims that UNRWA was a breeding ground for Hamas had led to the raid.
He told me: “The false accusations led to this. This is a shameful day, not only for the United Nations but also for the government of Israel.
“There must be a strong protest, and a response from the international community. This is unacceptable.”
Read more from Adam Parsons:
Gaza longs for normality, but quasi-anarchy reigns
Israeli forces kill two Palestinians after apparent surrender
‘It is time for UNRWA to be dismantled’
The Israeli government remains adamant that its criticism of UNRWA is justified.
When I asked Shosh Bedrosian, a spokesperson for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, about the raid, she said: “UNRWA is a stain on the United Nations.”
She added: “It is time for UNRWA to be dismantled. It is not part of the solution for Gaza, it is part of the problem.”
She did not comment on the legality of the raid, or on Israel’s ongoing commitment to the UN Charter.
Greek farmers angered by delayed subsidy payments have shut down the international airport on Crete and clashed with riot police.
Images from local media showed dozens of farmers standing on the apron at Nikos Kazantzakis International Airport in Heraklion, the largest city on Crete.
Pic: Reuters
The airport was forced to suspend all flights, while fights between protesters and riot police broke out in Chania, the Greek island’s second-largest city, where two people were reportedly injured.
Officers used tear gas to disperse protesting farmers who pelted them with rocks and overturned a police patrol car, according to local media.
Pics: AP
The protests were sparked after delays in the payment of European Union-backed agricultural subsidies, which followed a scandal over fraudulent subsidy claims.
Authorities are reviewing all requests for EU farm subsidies, which protesters argue amount to collective punishment and leave farmers in debt and unable to plant their fields for next season.
Meanwhile, Greece’s farming sector has been hit by an outbreak of goat and sheep pox, leading to a mass cull of livestock.
Farmers have since deployed thousands of tractors and other agricultural vehicles at border crossings and key points along highways across the country, as well as ports and airports.
Read more from Sky News:
Nurse in transgender doctor row wins part of employment tribunal
Starmer holds crisis talks for ‘decent peace for Ukraine’
‘Danger to life’ warning as Storm Bram hits UK and Ireland
Pics: Reuters
Michalis Chrisochoidis, Greek minister for public order, said last week that the government remained open to talks with protest leaders, but warned it wouldn’t tolerate the shutdown of major transit points.
It comes after riot police fired tear gas at protesting farmers attempting to block the main access road to the international airport outside the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki on Friday.
Elsewhere, police have been enforcing traffic diversions in several parts of northern and central Greece, while farmer roadblocks at the country’s northern borders with Bulgaria, Turkey and North Macedonia have hampered truck traffic.
Protests by farmers are common in Greece, and similar blockades in the past have sometimes severed all road traffic between the north and south of the country for weeks.
-
Sports2 years agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports3 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports2 years agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports3 years agoButton battles heat exhaustion in NASCAR debut
-
Sports3 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports4 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment3 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment1 year agoHere are the best electric bikes you can buy at every price level in October 2024