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Liz Truss ally Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg has defended the former PM\u2019s decision to hand honours to top Conservative backers amid outrage at her \u201cshameless\u201d cronyism.<\/p>\n
The senior Tory offered a desperate justification for Ms Truss\u2019 move to give out peerages and other top gongs to her closest allies despite spending only 49 days at No 10.<\/p>\n
Mr Rees-Mogg struggle to defend her legacy, but claimed it was political tradition to shower those \u201cclose to the government\u201d with awards.<\/p>\n
The disgraced former PM \u2013 kicked out by her own party after the mini-Budget fiasco \u2013 gave peerages to Vote Leave campaign chief Matthew Elliott and pro-Brexit Tory donor Jon Moynihan.<\/p>\n
Her resignation honours list was branded a \u201cslap in the face\u201d by Labour, while the Libs Dems described it a \u201cshameless\u201d and campaigners called for reform of the \u201crotten\u201d peerage system.<\/p>\n
But Sir Jacob \u2013 knighted as part of Boris Johnson\u2019s controversial resignation honours \u2013 defended Ms Truss\u2019 right to hand out gongs on BBC Radio 4\u2019s Today programme.<\/p>\n
He cited Sir Robert Walpole\u2019s move in the early 18th century to expand the honours system to better reward political allies \u2013 arguing that it was a tradition \u201cfundamentally based on people who were close to the government and close to the crown\u201d.<\/p>\n
The ex-business secretary also said Mr Moynihan \u2013 the ex-Vote Leave board member who donated \u00a320,000 to Ms\u00a0Truss\u2019s leadership campaign in 2022 \u2013 had \u201cstrongly deserved\u201d his peerage.<\/p>\n
Jacob Rees-Mogg was knighted in Boris Johnson\u2019s resignation list <\/p>\n
(PA Wire)<\/p>\n
The ex-cabinet minister argued that he had made a \u201cgreat contribution to Brexit\u201d, adding: \u201cJon 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
Challenged by Radio 4 host Nick Robinson if her could name the achievements of the Truss administration, Sir Jacob struggled to name any.<\/p>\n
\u201cLiz Truss took on the most senior political job in the country, of being the prime minister, which is role that comes with enormous responsibilities,\u201d he said without much enthusiasm.<\/p>\n
The Electoral Reform Society said it was an \u201cinsult\u201d to see Ms Truss\u00a0putting friends and backers in the Lords \u2013 arguing that it showed exactly why the \u201crotten and out of control the current peerages system\u201d must be reformed.<\/p>\n
Labour\u2019s Jonathan Ashworth told BBC Breakfast: \u201cLiz Truss was prime minister for 40 odd days. She and her colleagues pushed the economy off a cliff … so these are rewards for failure.\u201d<\/p>\n
Former PM Liz Truss was accused of \u2018shameless\u2019 cronyism <\/p>\n
(PA Wire)<\/p>\n
But Mr Rees-Mogg insisted that the system was fair \u2013 and warned that stopping party backers from entering the Lords would see donations dry up.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is not right to say because people donate money they cannot receive peerages,\u201d he said. \u201cYou don\u2019t 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ms Truss\u2019 close aide Ruth Porter was also given a peerage. And a number of the ex-PM\u2019s closest allies in parliament were on the list, with Jacqueline Doyle-Price given a damehood and Alec Shelbrooke put forward for a knighthood.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the Conservative Party is facing claims of cronyism after at least seven of its political donors were handed\u00a0gongs in the separate New Years Honours list.<\/p>\n
There were knighthoods for Wetherspoon\u2019s boss\u00a0Tim Martin, taxi firm supremo John Griffin, financier William Salomon and racing mogul Ron Dennis \u2013 who gave a combined total of more than \u00a35m to the party.<\/p>\n
The Liberal Democrats said it was \u201cshocking\u201d how many Tory backers were being rewarded \u2013 arguing that it made a \u201cmockery\u201d of the honours system.<\/p>\n
Mr Martin\u2019s spokesman said claims of cronyism were \u201cat odds with reality\u201d \u2013 pointing out that he had donated to Labour Leave, a pro-Brexit organisation, during the referendum campaign.<\/p>\n
Mr Griffin, the founder of Addison Lee taxi company, who\u00a0has given around \u00a34m to the Tories, told The Guardian that politics was \u201cnot really my bag\u201d and he had not looked for an honour through financial support for the party.<\/p>\n
Cabinet minister Esther McVey argued that honours lists can be made \u201ceven more representative\u201d. Mr Sunak\u2019s minister for common sense told The Express she wanted to see people \u201cfrom more walks of life\u201d recognised in future.<\/p>\n
A Conservative spokesperson said supporting a political party was \u201cpart of our civic democracy\u201d and insisted that it was \u201cwrong to criticise individuals being honoured just because they have also chosen to support or donate to a political party\u201d. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster email Liz Truss ally Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg has defended the former PM\u2019s decision to hand honours to top Conservative backers amid outrage at her \u201cshameless\u201d cronyism. The senior Tory offered a desperate justification for Ms […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2782,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[173],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2781","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n