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Liz Truss’ decision to hand out peerages and top gongs to supporters of her short and disastrous premiership has been branded “the lettuce list” by her critics.
They claim the awards for the former PM’s allies and financial backers is the biggest honours scandal since the infamous “lavender list” approved by Labour PM Harold Wilson in 1976.
The controversial resignation honours – allegedly drafted on lavender notepaper by Mr Wilson’s No 10 aide Marcia Falkender – also saw him dole out peerages and gongs to supporters.
A social media prank suggesting Ms Truss’ brief and chaotic premiership was outlasted by a wilting lettuce went viral last year.
Accused of “shameless” cronyism, Ms Truss’ critics on social media dubbed her resignation honours “lettuce list” – with claims the joke lettuce “has more right” to give out awards than the former Tory leader.
It comes as Ms Truss’ close ally Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg offered a desperate justification for the former PM’s decision to hand honours to top Tory backers, despite spending only 49 days at No 10.
Sir Jacob struggled to defend her legacy, but claimed it was political tradition to shower those “close to the government” with awards.
Jacob Rees-Mogg was knighted in Boris Johnson’s resignation list
(PA Wire)
The disgraced former PM – kicked out by her own party after the mini-Budget fiasco – gave peerages to Vote Leave campaign chief Matthew Elliott and pro-Brexit Tory donor Jon Moynihan.
But Sir Jacob – knighted as part of Boris Johnson’s controversial resignation honours – defended Ms Truss’ right to hand out gongs despite such a short spell at Downing Street.
The ex-business and Brexit minister argued on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that the honours system was a tradition “fundamentally based on a people who were close to the government and close to the crown”.
Mr Rees-Mogg also said Mr Moynihan – the ex-Vote Leave board member who donated £20,000 to Ms Truss’s leadership campaign in 2022 – had “strongly deserved” his peerage.
The ex-cabinet minister argued that he had made a “great contribution to Brexit”, adding: “Jon Moynihan has been a very significant supporter of the Conservative party, a successful businessman, somebody who has contributed a great deal to the political life of the nation.”
Challenged by Radio 4 host Nick Robinson if her could name the achievements of the Truss administration, Sir Jacob struggled to name any.
“Liz Truss took on the most senior political job in the country, of being the prime minister, which is role that comes with enormous responsibilities,” he said without much enthusiasm.
Former PM Liz Truss was accused of ‘shameless’ cronyism
(PA Wire)
Her resignation honours list was branded a “slap in the face” by Labour, while the Libs Dems described it a “shameless” and campaigners called for reform of the “rotten” peerage system.
The Electoral Reform Society said it was an “insult” to see Ms Truss putting friends and backers in the Lords – arguing that it showed exactly why the “rotten and out of control the current peerages system” must be reformed.
Labour’s Jonathan Ashworth told BBC Breakfast: “Liz Truss was prime minister for 40 odd days. She and her colleagues pushed the economy off a cliff … so these are rewards for failure.”
But Mr Rees-Mogg insisted that the system was fair – and warned that stopping party backers from entering the Lords would see donations dry up.
“It is not right to say because people donate money they cannot receive peerages,” he said. “You don’t want to discourage people from donating to political parties. Trade union leaders get honoured, and they go to the House of Lords, and this too is perfectly reasonable.”
Ms Truss’ close aide Ruth Porter was also given a peerage. And a number of allies in parliament were on the list, with Jacqueline Doyle-Price given a damehood and Alec Shelbrooke put forward for a knighthood.
Meanwhile, the Conservative Party is facing claims of cronyism after at least seven of its political donors were handed gongs in the separate New Years Honours list.
Wetherspoon founder Tim Martin was knighted
(PA Archive)
There were knighthoods for Wetherspoon’s boss Tim Martin, taxi firm supremo John Griffin, financier William Salomon and racing mogul Ron Dennis – who gave a combined total of more than £5m to the party.
The Liberal Democrats said it was “shocking” how many Tory backers were being rewarded – arguing that it made a “mockery” of the honours system.
Mr Martin’s spokesman said claims of cronyism were “at odds with reality” – pointing out that he had donated to Labour Leave, a pro-Brexit organisation, during the referendum campaign.
Mr Griffin, the founder of Addison Lee taxi company, who has given around £4m to the Tories, told The Guardian that politics was “not really my bag” and he had not looked for an honour through financial support for the party.
Cabinet minister Esther McVey argued that honours lists can be made “even more representative”. Mr Sunak’s minister for common sense told the Express she wanted to see people “from more walks of life” recognised in future.
A Conservative spokesperson said supporting a political party was “part of our civic democracy” and insisted that it was “wrong to criticise individuals being honoured just because they have also chosen to support or donate to a political party”.
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