LIZ Truss has nominated at least four new lifelong members of the House of Lords – despite serving as PM for just 49 days and sparking market meltdown.
Trending In The News can reveal the short-lived PM has submitted what allies insist is a “modest” resignation honours list despite calls for her to forgo the traditional handing out of gongs.
Liz Truss resigned as PM after just 49 days in office – but nonetheless some of her closest political allies will soon be made members of the House of Lords
Tory donor Jon Moynihan is set for the House of Lords
Mark Littlewood, a “Trussonomics” advocate and Director at the Institute for Economic Affairs, is also among the names on Liz Truss’ resignation honours list
Ruth Porter, who served as Deputy Chief of Staff to Liz Truss, is on the ex-PM’s resignation honours list
On it are peerages for Brexit campaigner Matthew Elliott, Tory donor Jon Moynihan and long-term aide Ruth Porter, who currently works as a lobbyist.
Mark Littlewood, the boss of the Institute of Economic Affairs that backed large parts of the “Trussonomics” mini-budget, will also be made a Lord.
The former Liberal Democrat chief-spin doctor has been friends with Ms Truss since they were at Oxford University together in the late 1990s.
It is not known if he will sit in the Lords as a Tory or Lib Dem.
Multi-millionaire businessman Mr Moynihan donated £100,000 to Boris Johnson and chaired the Vote Leave campaign in 2016, as well as Truss’s successful leadership campaign last summer.
Mr Elliott was also a central character in Brexit, serving as Chief Executive of the referendum winning team.
He previously founded the hugely influential Taxpayers’ Alliance campaign group.
Vote Leave chief executive Matthew Elliott is also set to be ennobled.
Miss Porter served as Truss’s Deputy Chief of Staff during her disastrous 49 day tenure last year.
Whitehall is still braced for Mr Johnson’s own resignation hours list that has been delayed amid rows with the House of Lords authorities about the suitability of some of his proposed names.
Last night a spokesman for Ms Truss declined to comment.
But there was anger last night amongst Truss’s former colleagues about the peerages.
One former adviser demanded: “Liz’s list of shame should be withdrawn.”
They added: “Is a final kick in the stomach to taxpayers who will now fork out millions of pounds in lifetime golden goodbye to donors and failed advisers.”
The Liberal Democrats have called for Truss’s list to be blocked, saying: “Handing out more expensive gongs to Conservative allies would be a truly remarkable way to reward the shortest tenure as Prime Minister in British history.
“Allowing Truss to dish out positions of influence would be a disgraceful waste of taxpayer money and show a stunning lack of humility.”
