Liz Truss to quit as prime minister

Liz Truss is to issue a statement resigning as prime minister after just 45 days, following the near-complete evaporation of her political authority, a process begun by last month’s disastrous mini-budget. “It’s over,” a source said.

Truss, who would become the shortest-serving prime minister in UK history, has been under pressure from Tory MPs to quit after the resignation of Suella Braverman as home secretary and as the Tory party plunged into chaos.

It is unclear whether she will step down immediately or set out a timetable for departure, with the Conservative party so far unable to coalesce around a successor, although Rishi Sunak, Jeremy Hunt, Penny Mordaunt and Ben Wallace have all been mentioned as possible successors.