Liz Truss Resigns As UK's Fourth PM In 6 Years And Twitter Can't Help But Laugh

"Exciting times for lettuce."
Liz Truss making a statement outside 10 Downing Street, London
Liz Truss making a statement outside 10 Downing Street, London
Kirsty O'Connor - PA Images via Getty Images

Liz Truss has just resigned, meaning the UK is about to move onto its fifth prime minister in just six years – and its third in the last six weeks.

After just 44 days in office, the prime minister lost the confidence of the Conservative Party with two of her most senior ministers leaving government within a matter of days.

Truss said there will be a new leader of the Tory party within a week, meaning they will become the de facto prime minister, but they will have to govern on the same mandate Boris Johnson was elected on back in 2019 – or call a new election.

But, amid the turmoil, Twitter was ready with its best jokes – particularly about who would be the next person to take on No.10 (considering every prime minister since 2016 has resigned because their term was up).

Britain’s next prime minister getting suited up pic.twitter.com/SLoCHPXfzF

— Hannah Jewell (@hcjewell) October 20, 2022

There were the inevitable conversations around Boris Johnson, and whether he may be asked to return to office (as his ally Nadine Dorries has been requesting).

hello I am leadership contender joris bohnson pic.twitter.com/204IdoNbCH

— Jim Pickard (@PickardJE) October 20, 2022

There were also people pointing out that No.10 had been insisting Truss would carry the party until the next election, in 2024, just hours before she resigned.

It is just over two hours since the PM's official spokesman, asked whether Liz Truss would take the Tories into the next election, replied: “Yes”.

— Pippa Crerar (@PippaCrerar) October 20, 2022

Plenty of people wheeled out jokes comparing Truss to a lettuce, after The Economist said she had the same “shelf-life”.

The Daily Star then set up a lettuce cam on YouTube, asking which would last longer.

How it started.

How it ended. pic.twitter.com/0Me1cn4uzd

— Scott Bryan (@scottygb) October 20, 2022

Zelenskyy looking at us, like:

"I've managed to stay in power for a year against Vladimir Putin... In 6 weeks You lost to a fucking lettuce!" pic.twitter.com/WPGzKB7d7C

— Femi (@Femi_Sorry) October 20, 2022

Exciting times for lettuce

— James Felton (@JimMFelton) October 20, 2022

And then there were just the incredulous jokes.

"You boy, what Prime Minister is it?!" pic.twitter.com/niVj8Pf3eC

— Pete Prodge of the Anti-Growth™ Coalition® (@peteprodge) October 20, 2022

Braverman lost to tofu, Truss lost to a lettuce, vegans having an amazing week tbf

— TechnicallyRon (@TechnicallyRon) October 20, 2022

The process of electing Liz Truss to be Prime Minister was two weeks longer than the time she was Prime Minister.

— TechnicallyRon (@TechnicallyRon) October 20, 2022

Liz Truss lasted 4.1 Scaramuccis

— Anthony Scaramucci (@Scaramucci) October 20, 2022

We recorded the final Mock the Week last night. Jesus, she can’t even get that right. https://t.co/d7JIBElBbU

— Dara Ó Briain (@daraobriain) October 20, 2022

This is what happens when you girlboss with a blue rosette

— Ben Walker (@BNHWalker) October 20, 2022

Some people recalled how Truss said only the day before her resignation that she was a “fighter not a quitter” when asked in the Commons if she would leave office.

“In the end I have been told that, in fact, I am a quitter, not a fighter”.

— Stig Abell (@StigAbell) October 20, 2022

The Tory leadership race lasted 10 days longer than Liz Truss did.

— PoliticsJOE (@PoliticsJOE_UK) October 20, 2022

Whatever Liz Truss says in her 1.30pm Downing Street statement will simply cement her status as one of the greatest content creators of our time

— Owen Jones (@OwenJones84) October 20, 2022

Just call me Nostradamows https://t.co/H3KZQQChDz

— Owen Williams 🏴 (@OwsWills) October 20, 2022

genuinely feeling quite overwhelming second hand embarrassment

— Marie Le Conte (@youngvulgarian) October 20, 2022

To get a couple of things straight:
• 44 days
• Shortest-serving PM ever (she would have had to get to 4 Jan to not be).

— Peter Walker (@peterwalker99) October 20, 2022

Lmao at that bit of the summer when everyone went all galaxy brain and "maybe she's a political genius"

— Esther Webber (@estwebber) October 20, 2022
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