Liz Truss sacked Nadhim Zahawi on 14 October 2022 – exactly three weeks after the disastrous so–called mini–budget – and appointed Jeremy Hunt to succeed him as Chancellor of the Exchequer on the same day.
Truss, who was already on borrowed time, announced her resignation on 20 October. The deadline for nominations as new Leader of the Conservative party was set for 14:00 on Monday 24 October, and at 13:57 there were two candidates: Penny Mordaunt and Rishi Sunak. But Mordaunt withdrew two minutes before the deadline, leaving Sunak to be elected unopposed. He attended Buckingham Palace on the 25th to be appointed Prime Minister by King Charles III (just 47 days into his reign).
© Haydn Thompson 2023