by Liz Truss’s decision to give peers and aboriginals to supporters of her short and disastrous Prime Minister has been described as the “lettuce list” by her critics.
They claim the awards for allies of the former Prime Minister and financial backers of the biggest honors scandal since the infamous “lavender list” approved by Labor Prime Minister Harold Wilson in 1976.
The honors of the controversial resignation – allegedly drawn up on lavender paper by Mr Wilson’s No 10 aide Marcia Falkender – also saw him drop peers and gongs to supporters.
A stunt suggesting wilting lettuce went viral last year suggested Ms Truss had a short and chaotic Premiership.
Ms Truss’ critics on social media have branded her quit the “lettuce list” – with claims that the lettuce has “more right” to hand out awards than the former PM.
Like Ms Truss – mocking her for staying at No. 10 barely longer than the shelf life of a salad green – the recipients of her awards, including lifetime peers, were mainly honored for supporting her in the same 49-day period.
The disgraced former Prime Minister – who was kicked out by her own party after the mini-budget fiasco – peered at Vote Leave campaign chief Matthew Elliott and pro-Brexit Tory donor Jon Moynihan.
A Labor source said The Independent: “This lettuce list is proof positive of Rishi Sunak’s weakness and reward for failure. There should be honors for those who are dedicated to public service – not those who crashed the economy and sent our bills sky high.”
The Democrats’ deputy leader, Daisy Cooper, said: “Liz Truss’ lettuce list is a disgrace and a symbol of everything that is wrong with the Conservative party.” She said the former PM’s supporters were “responsible for bringing the economy up to date”.
Amid the backlash, Prime Minister Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg’s former ally offered a desperate justification for her decision to hand out honors to Tory supporters, and attacked her “po-faced puritan” critics.
Struggling to protect his legacy on BBC Radio 4 Todaythe former cabinet minister claimed it was a political tradition to give awards to those “close to the government”.
Sir Jacob – who was knighted as part of Boris Johnson’s resignation honors – argued that they helped the “oil” political system and that it was a tradition “basically based on people who were close to the government and close to the crown”.
Mr Rees-Mogg said Mr Moynihan – the former Vote Leave board member who gave £20,000 to Ms Truss’s 2022 leadership campaign – was “greatly” deserving of his peerage.
The former business secretary added: “Jon Moynihan was a significant supporter of the Conservative party, a successful businessman, a great contributor to the nation’s political life.”
Challenged by Radio 4 host Nick Robinson if he could name the achievements of the Truss administration, Sir Jacob struggled to name any. “Liz Truss has taken on the most senior political job in the country, being prime minister, a role with huge responsibilities,” he said with little enthusiasm.
Mr Rees-Mogg also told Sky News: “Honours have long permeated our political system and come at no cost, so it’s hard to see what the harm is except that it offends the puritans who face.”
Labor branded his resignation a “slap in the face”, while the Lib-Dems described it as “shameless” and campaigners called for an overhaul of the “rotten” peerage system.
The Society for Electoral Reform said it was an “insult” to see Ms Truss field friends and supporters in the Lords – arguing it showed exactly why the “rotten and out-of-control” peerage system must be reformed.
Dr Jess Garland, the society’s director of research and policy, told Sky News that the honors were “out of control”.
The director of the Foundation for Government Hannah White told the BBC that the honors resignation brought the whole system into disrepute and should be abolished.
Labour’s Jonathan Ashworth said 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 the system was fair – and warned that stopping political party supporters from entering the Lords would see donations dry up.
“You don’t want to discourage people from donating to political parties,” he said. “Union leaders are respected, and they go to the House of Lords, and that’s also very reasonable.”
Ms Truss’ close friend Ruth Porter was also given a peerage. A number of parliamentary allies were on the list, with Jackie Doyle-Price given the bar 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 given gongs in the special New Year Honors list.
There were knights for Wetherspoon boss Tim Martin, taxi firm boss John Griffin, financier William Salomon and racing magnate Ron Dennis – who gave the party a total of more than £5m.
The Liberal Democrats said it was “shocking” how many Tory supporters were being awarded – claiming it made a “mockery” of the honors system.
Mr Martin’s spokesman said the claims of cronyism were “contrary to reality” – pointing out that he had donated to Labor Leave, a pro-Brexit organisation, during the referendum campaign.
Mr Griffin, the founder of taxi company Addison Lee, said he had given around £4m to the Tories The Guardian that politics was “not really my thing” and he did not seek honor through financial support for the party.
Cabinet Minister Esther McVey argued that honors lists can be made “even more representative”. The Minister of Common Sense Mr. Sunak said to the Surname she wanted people “from more walks of life” to be recognized in the future.
A Conservative spokesman said that supporting a political party was “part of our civic democracy” and argued that it was “wrong to criticize honored individuals for choosing to support or donate to a political party “.
