How Did The Fracking Vote Lead To Liz Truss’ Resignation?
This turning point—where a vote on fracking implicitly turned into an unofficial vote of confidence —had been a long time coming. The mini-budget announced on 23 September 2022 tanked the pound, and Truss had very few public appearances in the aftermath of the budget announcement, instead firing 50% of her most senior ministers in just one week [18]. Her Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, also resigned after a breach of the ministerial code became public, although her resignation letter framed her departure as one of personal disagreement with the direction of Truss’ government [18]. On top of Braverman’s resignation, Truss suspended one of her top aides, Jason Stein, after he conducted some media briefings in which he was deemed too critical of his fellow Conservatives [18,19]. This chain of events (from mini-budget announcement to mass changes in personnel) shows the speed with which Truss lost the confidence of her own cabinet and the party.
