Truss needs to hold on until new year to avoid being shortest-serving British prime minister

Liz Truss needs to hold onto the Tory leadership until January 3 to avoid topping the list for the shortest time as British prime minister (Aaron Chown/PA)

Liz Truss needs to hang on as prime minister until the start of next year to avoid her premiership becoming the shortest in British history.

The person who currently holds the title is the Tory statesman George Canning, who spent 118 full days as British prime minister in 1827 before dying in office from ill health.