This lettuce with a wig outlasted UK Prime Minister Liz Truss

UK Prime Minister Liz Truss has been beaten by a head of lettuce in a 10-day competition to see how long she would last in power.

A picture of British Prime Minister and a head of lettuce feature in a livestream by local tabloid The Daily Star.

The livestream set up by the British tabloid newspaper The Daily Star.

UK Prime Minister Liz Truss has been outlasted by a lettuce in a wig after she resigned as leader of the Conservative Party.

Ms Truss, who has held the role since 6 September, resigned on Thursday after 44 days of economic and political turmoil.

Amid calls for her to step down, British tabloid newspaper The Daily Star started a YouTube livestream of a picture of Truss and a head of lettuce on 14 October.

"Will Liz Truss still be Prime Minister within the 10 day shelf-life of a lettuce?" the video caption read.

The lettuce head was given googly eyes, a mouth, arms and feet in a similar vein to Mr Potato Head toys as well as a blonde wig to resemble Ms Truss.

On the seventh day of the livestream, Ms Truss stepped down, allowing "Lizzy Lettuce" to claim victory.

Ms Truss' leafy counterpart was seen celebrating with a pastry from Greggs and some beverages in the evening with her fruit and vegetable friends.
"Lizzy Lettuce" outlasts UK Prime Minister Liz Truss in a 10-day competition by local tabloid The Daily Star.
"Lizzy Lettuce" outlasts UK Prime Minister Liz Truss in a 10-day competition by local tabloid The Daily Star.

Who else did Liz Truss beat for shortest leadership stint?

Ms Truss served lead for 44 days, making her Britain's shortest serving Prime Minister.

Below are the country's other leaders who did not make it through their first year.

George Canning - 118 days

The Tory statesman's time in office was cut short by death, aged 57, possibly from pneumonia or tuberculosis, on Aug. 8, 1827. The champion of Catholic emancipation was also famous for fighting a duel when foreign minister.

Viscount Goderich - 143 days

Goderich, whose real name was Frederick Robinson, succeeded Canning but struggled to contain a turbulent coalition and, with the king's confidence in him fading, resigned in January 1828 in his fifth month in office.
Liz Truss speaks during the Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons, London on Wednesday, 19 October.
Liz Truss speaks during the Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons, London on Wednesday. Credit: UK Parliament/Jessica Taylor/PA/Alamy

Andrew Bonar Law - 209 days

Law was forced to resign in May 1923 as his throat cancer advanced and made it difficult for him to speak in parliament. The Conservative died less than six months later.

The Duke of Devonshire - 225 days

William Cavendish, the 4th Duke of Devonshire and a Whig, was seen as de facto prime minister during a caretaker government and stepped down in June 1757.

The Earl of Shelburne - 265 days

Dublin-born William Petty, the 2nd Earl of Shelburne, was in office when the treaty of Paris, which ended the American War of Independence, was signed. He resigned in March 1783, pressed by the opposition after falling out with colleagues over reforms.

The Earl of Bute - 317 days

John Stuart, third Earl of Bute, was the first prime minister from Scotland after the Acts of Union in 1707. He had been tutor to Prince George, later George III, and rose on his royal connections, but fell foul of infighting particularly in the wake of an uppopular Cider Tax, and resigned in April 1763.

- With Reuters

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3 min read
Published 20 October 2022 4:30pm
Updated 21 October 2022 9:05am
By Shivé Prema
Source: SBS, Reuters


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