Prime ministers came and went in 2022 as both Boris Johnson and Liz Truss departed from No 10 during a tumultuous 12 months in British politics.
Partygate, local election and by-election losses, and a damaging confidence vote beset Mr Johnson before he resigned amid criticism of his handling of allegations against deputy chief whip Chris Pincher.
Prime minister Boris Johnson and chancellor Rishi Sunak during a visit to Maidstone Hospital – in April the pair were fined for attending Mr Johnson’s birthday bash before a meeting in Downing Street in June 2020, when England was under Covid restrictions (Gareth Fuller/PA)Ukrainian refugee Kira Ryndova, three, holds a Larry the cat soft toy on the steps of 10 Downing Street in May after visiting with her family to meet PM Boris Johnson. They arrived in the UK through the UK visa scheme, following Russia’s invasion in February (Victoria Jones/PA)Boris Johnson during a press conference in May following the publication of Sue Gray’s report into Downing Street parties in Whitehall during the coronavirus lockdown (Leon Neal/PA)Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey celebrates with Richard Foord, the newly-elected MP in the Tiverton and Honiton by-election, which was triggered by the resignation of MP Neil Parish for watching pornography in the Commons (Andrew Matthews/PA)Prime minister Boris Johnson reads a statement on July 7 outside 10 Downing Street formally resigning as Conservative Party leader after ministers and MPs made clear his position was untenable (James Manning/PA)
Ms Truss triumphed over former chancellor Rishi Sunak in the ensuing Conservative Party leadership contest, becoming prime minister on September 6.
But her tenure did not last long, after she and her chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng sent markets into meltdown with their mini-budget weeks later.
A mural on Hill Street in Belfast by Ciaran Gallagher Art, commissioned by local bar owner Willie Jack, showing Conservative Party leadership candidates Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss as two boxers about to fight it out to be the UK prime minister (Liam McBurney/PA)Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss during a hustings event at Wembley Arena as part of their campaign to be leader of the Conservative Party and the next prime minister (Stefan Rousseau/PA)Boris Johnson makes a speech outside 10 Downing Street on September 6 before leaving for Balmoral for an audience with the Queen to formally resign as prime minister (Stefan Rousseau/PA)The Queen welcomes Liz Truss during an audience at Balmoral, where she invited the newly-elected leader of the Conservative Party to become prime minister and form a new government (Jane Barlow/PA)The lectern for Liz Truss’s speech is covered in a bin bag outside 10 Downing Street after a rain downpour before the arrival of the new prime minister from Balmoral (Aaron Chown/PA)New prime minister Liz Truss makes a speech outside 10 Downing Street after accepting the Queen’s invitation to form a new government (Stefan Rousseau/PA)Prime minister Liz Truss and chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng during a visit to a construction site in Birmingham, on day three of the Conservative Party annual conference (Stefan Rousseau/PA)
Ms Truss’s exit from No 10 came after just 49 days, making her the shortest-serving premier in history.
Days later Mr Sunak was announced as the new leader of the Tory party, becoming the third prime minister to take the reins in Downing Street in 2022.
Rishi Sunak arrives at Conservative Party HQ in Westminster after it was announced he will become the new leader of the Conservative Party after rival Penny Mordaunt dropped out (Victoria Jones/PA)The King welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly-elected Conservative Party leader to become prime minister and form a new government (Aaron Chown/PA)Sir Keir Starmer and members of the Parliamentary Labour Party welcome Samantha Dixon, front left, to Parliament in December as the newly-elected Labour MP for the City of Chester (James Manning/PA)
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