LIZ Truss is reportedly set to nominate four close supporters as part of her resignation honours despite serving as prime minister for less than 50 days.
Truss’s 49 days in Downing Street made her the shortest serving prime minister in British political history, having exited 10 Downing Streer after her disastrous September mini-budget measures saw the value of the pound plummet.
But that, according to several reports, has not stopped her from putting forward former aides and backers for seats in the House of Lords as part of the honours list a prime minister can recommend following their resignation.
Her nominees reportedly include Mark Littlewood, the director of the Institute for Economic Affairs - the right-wing think tank whose research was pivotal to the mini-budget – as well as Vote Leave chief executive Matthew Elliott.
Upon her resignation, Littlewood said: “I’m very sorry the PM’s efforts to move the UK in a pro-growth, low-tax, pro-enterprise direction has failed.
“She had a difficult hand to play, but she also played the hand badly.”
Truss’s former aide Ruth Porter and multi-millionaire Tory donor Jon Moynihan are also expected to be nominated.
The register of MPs’ financial interests shows that Moynihan donated, in two separate transactions, more than £50,000 to Truss’s leadership campaign.
Opposition parties have branded the move “a disgrace”.
SNP MP Pete Wishart took to Twitter to vent his frustration.
He said: “What a disgrace. And we have the gall to lecture the developing world about ‘democracy’.
“Your UK Scotland. Makes you proud, eh?”
The Liberal Democrat MP for East Fife, Wendy Chamberlain, called on Rishi Sunak to block the nominations.
What a disgrace. And we have the gall to lecture the developing world about ‘democracy’. Your UK Scotland. Makes you proud, eh? https://t.co/VhwAtdu8NA
— Pete Wishart (@PeteWishart) March 24, 2023
She said: “Handing out more expensive gongs to Conservative allies is a truly remarkable way to reward the shortest tenure as prime minister in British political history.
“Truss and her Conservative colleagues trashed our economy and left millions in misery.
“Those selected for honours are the very people who helped plunge the country into chaos and crisis.
“Rishi Sunak must block these honours immediately as allowing Truss to dish out positions of influence shows a stunning lack of humility.”
A spokesman for Truss said he could not comment on who any individuals on the nomination list were.
It is understood that the publication of her honours recommendations is not expected imminently, with the system currently consumed with Boris Johnson’s resignation honours and the King’s Coronation honours.
