On the 20th October, Liz Truss resigned as Leader of the Conservative Party and arrangements were put in place for her successor to be chosen by the 28th October, when the new Prime Minister will be confirmed. Commenting on her resignation, Richard said:
"On Wednesday evening it was clear that the Prime Minister had lost her authority in the House of Commons. It is to her credit that she recognised this swiftly and resigned the following day. That must have been personally very tough.
There will now be a very quick process to choose a new Prime Minister who can command a majority in Parliament.
Reflecting over the past few decades, an important consideration too often overlooked is whether a candidate for Prime Minister has a strong team to join them in Number Ten.
This is crucial for effective governance as we cannot expect a single individual to set strategy, manage conflicts between departments and be responsible for effective delivery. A strong Number 10 team can make a huge difference.
The new Prime Minister must also confirm they will focus on delivering the commitments made in the 2019 manifesto. That is a contract with the British people and, notwithstanding significant events since 2019, should remain our key guiding document."