In a letter released, theRightHon said they were “still proud” of what the party had achieved during their time in office, despite acknowledging the election result was “not what we were hoping for”.
The resignation statement, dated 24 May 2026, reflected on the party’s rapid rise during their 258-day leadership, saying they “never expected to take it to the heights we reached, after many wrote off our party for years”.
The outgoing leader also suggested internal pressures and a lack of support from senior figures may have contributed to the party’s performance, writing that “not everyone at the top put in the required effort to keep our party ahead”.
They urged party members to avoid a divisive leadership contest and instead “unite behind a single, experienced candidate” capable of continuing their work.
The statement included thanks to several senior figures and parliamentary colleagues, including Kingmaster, AdaptedFrost, BushBerry123 and StuartFreeman.