The reports came despite the fact that her 49-day tenure made her the shortest-serving prime minister in British history. Former aides and supporters put forward by Truss for the House of Lords seat include Matthew Elliott, Jon Moynihan, Ruth Porter, and Mark Littlewood. Labour and the Liberal Democrats have urged Truss’ replacement, Rishi Sunak, to oppose the nominations.
Truss’s mini-budget measures, announced alongside chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng, have been heavily criticised. It was so disastrous that Mr Littlewood, director of the free-market think tank Institute of Economic Affairs, dubbed it a “boost-up budget.” He was also the Lib Dems’ chief press spokesman and reportedly attended Oxford University with Truss. Porter, on the other hand, works for a lobbying firm that helped Truss win the Conservative leadership election in the summer after briefly serving as her deputy chief of staff in No 10.
However, opposition MPs have criticised her nomination of aides and supporters, citing their involvement in the disastrous mini-budget that Truss supported. Sunak should be denied these honours, according to Wendy Chamberlain MP, the Lib Dems’ chief whip, because they demonstrate “a stunning lack of humility.” The nominees have been accused of contributing to the country’s devastation and crisis. Meanwhile, Deputy Labour Leader Angela Rayner called the four nominees Truss’s “co-conspirators” who had “wrecked the economy.
More news from Oxford
