Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

From Liz Truss To Gordon Brown: These Are Britain's Shortest-Serving PMs

From Liz Truss To Gordon Brown: These Are Britain's Shortest-Serving PMs

Former foreign minister Truss took office on September 6 in the wake of a party revolt against former Conservative leader Boris Johnson.

British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who announced her resignation on Thursday after just six weeks in power, goes down as the shortest-serving premier in the last 100 years.

AFP looks at the five leaders who have had the shortest stint in 10 Downing Street over the past century:

Liz Truss: 44 days


Former foreign minister Truss took office on September 6 in the wake of a party revolt against former Conservative leader Boris Johnson.

Britain's third female prime minister beat Johnson's former finance chief Rishi Sunak for the top job on a platform of sweeping tax cuts that won over the Tory rank-and-file.

But the mini-budget unveiled by her finance minister Kwasi Kwarteng, which promises tax cuts for all, including top earners, to be funded by massive borrowing, caused market chaos.

With the pound taking a battering, Truss and Kwarteng were forced into a U-turn.

Truss later fired Kwarteng but by then she had been mortally weakened and when her interior minister quit and growing number of Tory MPs revolted she fell on her sword.

Andrew Bonar Law: 209 days


The Canadian-born son of a Scottish clergyman, who ruled for less than a year in 1922-1923, was the shortest-serving British prime minister of the 20th century.

The Conservative Party leader occupied senior positions in David Lloyd George's cabinet during World War I but later withdrew the Tories' support from the charismatic Liberal premier.

Lloyd George was forced to resign and Bonar Law, who lost his two eldest sons in World War I, succeeded him.

After 209 days the man dubbed the "forgotten" British premier himself stepped aside due to ill health and died six months later.

Alec Douglas-Home: 363 days


Alec Douglas-Home became prime minister in October 1963 after being asked by the ailing prime minister Harold MacMillan to replace him.

Douglas-Home, who was from a major Scottish aristocratic family, led the country for a year before the Conservatives were beaten into opposition in October 1964 by Harold Wilson's Labour Party. He later served as an acclaimed foreign secretary under Edward Heath.

Anthony Eden: 1 year 279 days


Anthony Eden was a much-feted foreign minister under wartime leader Winston Churchill but had much less success in the top job.

He served three times as Britain's top diplomat, in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s but by the time he got his chance to lead, after Churchill resigned in 1955, he was suffering from ill health.

His handling of the Suez crisis in 1956 proved his downfall, with the Anglo-French attack on Egypt over its nationalisation of the canal drawing widespread condemnation.

Eden never recovered politically from the fiasco and resigned on January 9, 1957.

Gordon Brown: 2 years 319 days


Brown was a star finance minister under Labour prime minister Tony Blair from 1997 to 2007.

But after spending a decade as leader-in-waiting the dour Scot struggled to connect with the public when he became premier.

While campaigning in the 2010 election he tripped up badly after being caught on a live television microphone as describing a widowed pensioner he had just met as "bigoted".

Labour lost the election and Brown quit.

Others


In the 18th and 19th centuries, British prime ministers often spent less than a year in office.

The Duke of Devonshire lasted only 225 days in 1756-57 while the 2nd Earl of Shelburne managed 265 days in 1782-83.

In the 19th century, the Duke of Wellington served a mere 22 days during his second term as prime minister in 1834.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Hungary's Prime Minister Criticizes NATO's Role in Ukraine
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Hungarian Scientist to Conduct 30 Research Experiments on the International Space Station
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
International Astronaut Team Launched to Space Station
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
Oil Prices Set to Surge After US Strikes Iran
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Hungary Ranked Among the World’s Safest Travel Destinations for 2025
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Shock Within Iran’s Leadership: Khamenei’s Failed Plan to Launch 1,000 Missiles Against Israel
Wreck of $17 Billion San José Galleon Identified Off Colombia After 300 Years
×