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Liz Truss ally Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg has defended the former PM’s decision to hand honours to top Conservative backers amid outrage at her “shameless” cronyism.
The senior Tory offered a desperate justification for Ms Truss’ move to give out peerages and other top gongs to her closest allies despite spending only 49 days at No 10.
Mr Rees-Mogg struggle to defend her legacy, but claimed it was political tradition to shower those “close to the government” with awards.
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.
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.
But Sir Jacob – knighted as part of Boris Johnson’s controversial resignation honours – defended Ms Truss’ right to hand out gongs on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
He cited Sir Robert Walpole’s move in the early 18th century to expand the honours system to better reward political allies – arguing that it was a tradition “fundamentally based on people who were close to the government and close to the crown”.
The ex-business secretary 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.
Jacob Rees-Mogg was knighted in Boris Johnson’s resignation list
(PA Wire)
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.
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.”
Former PM Liz Truss was accused of ‘shameless’ cronyism
(PA Wire)
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 the ex-PM’s closest 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.
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”.
