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Liz Truss' destiny: Shortest tenure as UK prime minister

LONDON (AP) — Liz Truss will go down in history as Britain’s shortest-serving prime minister , a leader whose grasp on power was so tenuous in recent days it spawned a jokey online contest to see whether she would outlast a head of lettuce.
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FILE - British Prime Minister Liz Truss takes her seat for the funeral service of Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey in central London, Monday Sept. 19, 2022. On Thursday, Oct. 20, 2022 Truss quit after losing support of Conservative lawmakers following weeks of turmoil over botched economic plan. (Ben Stansall/Pool via AP, FIle)

LONDON (AP) — Liz Truss will go down in history as Britain’s shortest-serving prime minister, a leader whose grasp on power was so tenuous in recent days it spawned a jokey online contest to see whether she would outlast a head of lettuce. The lettuce won.

Some other prime ministers also had very short tenures — but mostly they served some time ago.

Liz Truss: 45 days, Conservative; Took office Sept. 6, 2022 and resigned Oct. 20, 2022 with plans to stay in office until a replacement is named.

George Canning: 121 days; Tory; April 10, 1827-Aug. 8, 1827; died.

Frederick John Robinson, Viscount Goderich: 144 days; Tory; Aug 31, 1827-Jan.21, 1828; replaced.

Bonar Law: 210 days, Conservative; Oct. 23, 1922- May 20, 1923; resigned due to ill health.

William Cavendish, 4th Duke of Devonshire, Whig; 236 days, Nov. 6, 1756-June 29, 1757; replaced.

William Petty, 2nd Earl of Shelburne: 267 days; Whig; July 13, 1782-April 5, 1783; replaced.

The Associated Press