On Oct. 20, prolific Cleveland Browns fan and British Prime Minister Liz Truss announced her resignation from her post. As she only took the position on Sept. 6, her 50 days in office make her the shortest-serving prime minister in the history of the United Kingdom.

As the news dropped, Truss gave a short resignation speech, remarking “I was elected by the Conservative Party with a mandate to change [Britain’s many economic issues]…I recognize, though, given the situation, I cannot deliver the mandate on which I was elected.”

In spite of her short tenure, much occurred over the course of Truss’ time at 10 Downing Street. Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning monarch in the history of the UK, passed away days after she took office. Her “mini-budget” economic plan which proposed the highest tax cuts in decades floundered. She was unable to fully address the ongoing financial crises in Britain such as the pound crash or the energy crisis. After a string of failures so close together, the resignations of several of her cabinet ministers in the days before her own departure seemed to mark the beginning of the end. By the time her letter of resignation hit King Charles’ desk, Truss had an approval rating of only 10%.

Rishi Sunak, a fellow Tory MP and Truss’ biggest rival for the initial nomination has since been appointed to replace Truss by the Conservative Party. Sunak, a Hindu of Indian descent, will be the first person of color to serve as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. 

However, considering the proximity of the two consecutive inter-party votes, many in the Labour Party, such as Party Leader Keir Starmer, have called for a general election to be held in order for the British people to have input on the revolving door of leadership in the country. This is reflected in public opinion, as 56% of Britons believe Sunak should call a general election.

Andreas Sobisch, the Chair of the Political Science Department at John Carroll, commented on Sunak’s ascension and the economy he is inheriting, “[Sunak] appears to be a capable chap, but, unlike his three predecessors who were more pragmatic on the issue, he is a committed Brexiteer. And Brexit is the root cause of all of the UK’s current economic woes. So the prospect for those to be fixed is dim.”

In the days since Truss’ resignation, the value of the pound has risen slightly.