UK's Truss stands down as prime minister

The chaotic and short premiership of the United Kingdom's Prime Minister Liz Truss ended abruptly on Thursday with her announcing her resignation.

Truss had lurched from one debacle to another in the preceding days, with a senior member of her government resigning partially in protest against her leadership on Wednesday, before farcical scenes in Parliament on Thursday broke out during a vote about fracking.

On Thursday, after meeting with the leader of the group that represents the rank-and-file lawmakers within her ruling Conservative Party, Truss said from Downing Street that she would stand down immediately.

"I recognize ... given the situation, I cannot deliver the mandate on which I was elected by the Conservative Party," she said in her short, hastily arranged farewell speech.

Truss only assumed power in September, after a political coup within the ruling Conservative Party got rid of her predecessor, Boris Johnson.

Her term was marked by a disastrous mini-budget delivered by her then finance minister Kwasi Kwarteng, which caused the pound to sink to a record low against the United States' dollar.

Despite firing Kwarteng, Truss continued to have difficulties, with her home secretary, Suella Braverman, resigning on Wednesday.

In her resignation letter, Braverman said: "It is obvious to everyone that we are going through a tumultuous time. I have concerns about the direction of this government. Not only have we broken key pledges that were promised to our voters, but I have had serious concerns about this government's commitment to honoring manifesto commitments."

Immediately after Braverman's resignation, members of Parliament settled down for a vote on fracking, which the government said could be considered a vote of confidence in Truss's leadership, before changing its mind and saying it could not, and then saying once again that it could.

Ahead of the vote early on Thursday, there were reports of chaotic scenes in Parliament, with allegations of bullying made against the government, and with the prime minister's office threatening "proportionate disciplinary action" against Conservative Party, or Tory, lawmakers who voted against the bill.

Later, the speaker of the House of Commons said he was investigating the allegations.

Simon Hoare, a Conservative Party member of Parliament, said on Radio 4's Today program the disorder on Thursday showed Truss's time was up.

"I think today and tomorrow are crunch days," he said before her resignation, adding that there was "a growing sense of pessimism in all wings of the Tory party".

Conservative Party lawmaker Henry Smith said on Times Radio: "We need new leadership … we need solid leadership, and I'm afraid … that has been distinctly lacking from Downing Street in the last several weeks."

Truss was only in office for 44 days, making her term in office the shortest of any prime minister in British history.

There will now be a leadership election that could be over in a matter of days, to see who will replace Truss at the helm of the nation and the Conservative Party, with Truss staying on in a caretaking role until a successor is found.