Theresa May could soon hold the dubious honour of bagging a spot in the top ten shortest-serving Prime Ministers in the country’s history, if she stands down following a disastrous night at the polls for the Conservatives.
With exit polls indicating a hung parliament, the Prime Minister’s decision to call a snap election in order to increase the Conservative’s majority now looks fool-hardy at best, and potentially career destroying.
If May is forced out today her paltry 331 days in office currently leave her in 7th place – around a month short of Sir Alec Douglas-Home, the most recent Conservative PM to fall before a year, serving just 362 days in 1963-4.
Should she stand down on Saturday, she would have held office for 332 days, having assumed office on 13 July 2016 when David Cameron stood down following another ill-advised public poll for the party.
A successor to the PM as leader of the party would be hard to pin down at the moment, with big names such as Amber Rudd and Gavin Barwell looking like they could lose their seats.
The only other Prime Minister to last less than a year in the 20th Century was another Conservative, Bonar Law, who took office in 1922 and managed just 211 days.
10 – The Duke of Grafton: One year, 106 days
9 – The Lord Grenville: One year, 42 days
8 – Sir Alec Douglas-Home: 362 days
7 – Theresa May: 331 days
6 – The Earl of Bute: 317 days
5 – The Earl of Shelburne: 266 days
4 – The Duke of Devonshire: 225 days
3 – Bonar Law: 221 days
2 – The Viscount Goderich: 130 days
1 – George Canning: 119 days
Image courtesy of BBC via Youtube, with thanks
