Liz Truss’s £4,000 “Jenga” lectern has been left abandoned in No10 as officials have failed to find it a new home.
The government had hoped the costly wooden monstrosity would be used by another Whitehall department or maybe an embassy abroad.
But it is still languishing in Downing Street as it appears there have been no takers for the higgledy-piggledy pile of bricks that brings back bad memories of Ms Truss’s short-lived time in power.
The lectern was specially made for her at a cost of £4,175 to taxpayers, but she only lasted 49 days as Prime Minister after she tanked the economy.
In response to a freedom of information request, the Cabinet Office said the practice has been that lecterns used by PMs are “repurposed including in other Government buildings” when they leave office, but it said the one made for Ms Truss remained “on site” in No10.
The lectern was used by Miss Truss when she addressed the nation following the death of the Queen.
She also stood behind it at an awkward press conference after she sacked Kwasi Kwarteng as Chancellor in a desperate bid to save her premiership and as she announced her resignation in Downing Street.
Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner said: “As the Tories try to gloss over the fact that Liz Truss crashed the economy and pushed up mortgage costs for millions of families, her Jenga lectern now serves as a permanent reminder that the Conservatives should never again be trusted with Britain’s finances.
“This grotesque waste of taxpayers’ money is just another vanity project paid for by working people at the height of a cost of living crisis.
"A Labour Government will get tough on waste, with an Office of Value for Money to ensure every penny of taxpayers' money is treated with respect."
During her seven weeks in power, Miss Truss sent the pound tumbling and mortgage rates soaring after she unveiled her catastrophic mini-Budget, which was packed with gigantic tax cuts for the super-rich.
She had to U-turn on nearly all her plans and sacked Mr Kwarteng, but was still forced out by Tory MPs. She is the shortest-serving PM in British history.
Miss Truss has pledged to stay on as a backbench Tory MP and is already becoming a thorn in Mr Sunak’s side.
Unlike other Tory PMs, Mr Sunak did not have a personalised lectern made for him as there was no time to design one in the rapid leadership contest that followed Miss Truss’s resignation.
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