They say the first 100 days of tenure are critical – lord help Liz Truss

It looks likely that the first 100 days of the Truss era will contain as much political drama as many PMs’ entire careers, writes Andrew Woodcock

Liz Truss may not have that long to define her time in power (Getty)

Most incoming prime ministers or presidents reckon that the first 100 days of their tenure will define their time in power. Liz Truss may not have that long.

The usual reasoning is that the public make their minds up quickly about a new leader. A series of major announcements can cement a positive impression which future mishaps and setbacks will only slowly erode. But a big flop – or a failure to do anything at all significant in the early weeks – can establish an image as a “dud” which will be difficult to shake off.

For Ms Truss, that crucial period for making a first impression has been hugely truncated. Not for her the luxury of picking and choosing the areas where she wants to make big interventions or launch reputation-building projects.