Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg has attacked critics of Liz Truss’ honours record, calling them “po-faced puritans”.
The former prime minister was allowed to submit her so-called “resignation honours” after leaving workplace final 12 months – a conference given to all departing leaders – and the ultimate 11 names have been introduced on Friday.
But the choice has been closely criticised because of the circumstances round Ms Truss’ exit, whose disastrous mini-budget noticed her ousted from Number 10 after simply 49 days.
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Labour referred to as it “a slap in the face to working people who are paying the price of the Tories crashing the economy”, whereas the Liberal Democrats mentioned it was “a shameless move to reward Liz Truss’s car crash cronies… matched only by [Rishi] Sunak’s weakness in failing to block it”.
The Electoral Reform Society’s Dr Jess Garland additionally advised Sky News it was a “convention that has really got out of control” with extra unelected politicians in parliament now than elected ones, and appealed to whoever was subsequent in authorities to “grab this by the horns” and alter the system.
But Sir Jacob, who served as Ms Truss’ enterprise secretary throughout her quick tenure and was knighted in Boris Johnson’s resignation honours, mentioned it was “the right” of a former prime minister to make the nominations, and it was “a reasonable way to allow her to thank those who have helped her to serve in the highest elected office in the land”.
He advised Sky News: “Prime ministers, of all parties, need support that goes well beyond a 9 to 5 job and those who support them are trying their best to fulfil the democratic mandate held by all PMs.
“Honours have lengthy oiled our political system and price nothing so it’s laborious to see what the hurt is besides it upsets the po-faced puritans.”
The now backbench Tory MP additionally had particular criticism for the Institute for Government, whose director, Hannah White, yesterday advised the BBC resignation honours introduced the broader honours system into disrepute and ought to be scrapped.
Ms White took explicit concern with the handing out of peerages – of which Ms Truss has bestowed three – saying it was unsuitable for an individual to be given a job to legislate for all times “on the say so of a single individual”.
But Sir Jacob mentioned: “I note the Institute for Government, the Blob incarnate, never criticises honours for its civil service friends.”
The three folks awarded peerages by Ms Truss have been Matthew Elliot, the political strategist and former chief government of Vote Leave, former Vote Leave chair Jon Moynihan, and former deputy chief of employees in Number 10 Ruth Porter.
Mr Moynihan is a long-standing donor to the Tories and, since 2019, has donated £53,000 to Ms Truss alone.
An extra eight honours have been granted, together with a damehood for Tory MP Jackie Doyle-Price and a knighthood for fellow Conservative Alec Shelbrooke.
Labour MP Siobhain McDonagh, who was made a dame for her providers to parliament and politics on this 12 months’s New Year Honours record, advised Sky News it was “perplexing… that somebody who is prime minister for such a short period should have such a list”.
And she criticised that truth a variety of the beneficiaries have been individuals who had “funded and helped her campaign” to steer the Conservatives.
Source: information.sky.com”