United Kingdom: Political Developments and Data in 2022

Abstract

Turmoil characterised politics in the United Kingdom in 2022, with the year seeing three Prime Ministers, the death of Queen Elizabeth II and a deepening economic crisis. Partygate continued to loom large over the Johnson administration, and after a tumultuous few days with mass ministerial resignations in July, Johnson resigned. His successor, Liz Truss, became the shortest-serving Prime Minister in British history, resigning after 49 days. Rishi Sunak became the third Prime Minister since the 2019 general election. The economy was a key area of concern in 2022, with rising inflation worsening a cost of living crisis and fuelling a series of public sector strikes.