London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Oct 23, 2025

Resign Or Be Pushed? Scenarios Facing UK's Embattled PM Liz Truss

Resign Or Be Pushed? Scenarios Facing UK's Embattled PM Liz Truss

At least four MPs from Truss's Conservative party have publicly urged her to quit in the aftermath of the dramatic U-turns on her economic agenda in recent days.

Calls are growing for Britain's beleaguered Prime Minister Liz Truss to resign or be replaced, after weeks of economic and political tumult over her now largely abandoned tax-slashing economic package.

Here's are four scenarios for Truss, who only succeeded Boris Johnson in Downing Street early last month.

Truss resigns


At least four MPs from Truss's Conservative party have publicly urged her to quit in the aftermath of the dramatic U-turns on her economic agenda in recent days.

Numerous others have told reporters her tenure, just six weeks old, is effectively finished.

Following the decision on Friday to sack her finance minister and replace him with previous leadership rival Jeremy Hunt, Truss could decide her credibility has been so undermined that she must stand down.

She would remain as prime minister until a successor was decided.

That could mean another Tory leadership contest, less than two months after the last one formally concluded.

But the party could avoid a lengthy and divisive fight by consolidating around a single replacement, who is selected in a coronation.

Theresa May replaced ex-premier David Cameron in 2016 -- amid the fallout from the Brexit referendum -- after all the other contenders eventually withdrew.

However, Truss has shown no sign of being willing to resign, with her spokesman telling reporters on Monday she remained "focused on delivery".

No-confidence vote


Tory MPs could try to force Truss from office -- but it would require a unified effort by the party's ever-fractious 357 House of Commons lawmakers.

Conservative party rules prevent a new leader facing a vote of no-confidence by their colleagues in their first year, because only one contest can be held in any 12-month period.

Outside of that, it normally requires 15 percent of the parliamentary party -- currently 54 MPs -- to back a leadership election.

However, the powerful 1922 Committee of Tory backbenchers, which sets the party's internal rules, could move to change them to allow for a no-confidence vote in Truss.

In that scenario, it is unclear what threshold would be set to trigger a ballot.

If she lost that possible vote, Truss would no longer be Conservative party leader but would remain as prime minister until a successor was selected.

The 1922 Committee would need to agree on the rules for selecting that new leader -- who would be the party's third this year and fifth since 2016.

Reports suggest Tory MPs do not want a protracted contest decided by rank and file party members, so they could attempt rally behind a single so-called unity candidate.

But the party is deeply divided and may struggle to coalesce around a single figure.

Truss survives


Although she has severely damaged her credibility, Truss may have carved out some political space to steady her faltering premiership, after replacing finance minister Kwasi Kwarteng on Friday with the more centrist Hunt.

Meanwhile, ditching almost all of her mini-budget has calmed the previously roiled markets, giving her some financial stability and time to turn things around.

Truss will meet with different factions of her unhappy party this week, while hosting the cabinet for a reception in Downing Street on Monday night.

Beyond that, Hunt will detail at the end of the month how the government will reduce borrowing over the medium-term, providing a further opportunity to reassure markets.

General election


The next election in Britain is due by January 2025 at the latest, with the government able to decide if and when to trigger a contest prior to that.

However, Truss's government must retain the support of a majority of MPs.

Under Britain's uncodified constitution, there are thought to be three ways they can show they have lost faith, including by passing a no-confidence motion or voting down the government's budget plans.

In such a scenario, the prime minister is expected either to resign or request the dissolution of parliament from the king, which if accepted, prompts a general election.

The main opposition Labour party currently enjoys its highest poll leads in decades, with some surveys showing the Tories set to lose hundreds of seats.

So it is seen as highly unlikely that the scores of Conservative MPs needed to vote down the government would join opposition parties in doing so.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
US Administration Under President Donald Trump Reportedly Lifts Ban on Ukraine’s Use of Storm Shadow Missiles Against Russia
‘Frightening’ First Night in Prison for Sarkozy: Inmates Riot and Shout ‘Little Nicolas’
White House Announces No Imminent Summit Between Trump and Putin
US and Qatar Warn EU of Trade and Energy Risks from Tough Climate Regulation
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
Orange, Bouygues and Free Make €17 Billion Bid for Drahi’s Altice France Telecom Assets
×