Use legislation to block Liz Truss resignation honours, Labour says

This week marks a year since Ms Truss began her short stint as prime minister.

Labour is calling on the Government to block Liz Truss from having a resignation honours list (PA) (PA Archive)

Labour has called for legislation to block former prime minister Liz Truss from nominating people for honours.

A minister for the Cabinet Office said on Thursday that it has “not yet seen” a resignation honours list from Ms Truss.

Labour had also called on Rishi Sunak’s Government to block former prime minister Boris Johnson’s honours list, which ultimately went through despite a number of related controversies, including Nadine Dorries resigning as an MP because she was not included and accusations of cronyism.

Lucy Powell, speaking for the first time at questions relating to business of the House of Commons since being appointed shadow Commons leader earlier this week, called for legislation to block any such list from Ms Truss.

Will she bring forward legislation to stop our House being brought further into disrepute by the prime minister elevating her cronies to the House of Lords?

Lucy Powell MP

Noting this week marks a year since Ms Truss first took office, Ms Powell said: “In the interest of parliamentary accountability, it’s really an important event to debate as her six-week tenure left a crippling legacy for mortgage holders, with millions now paying hundreds of pounds a month more thanks to her reckless decisions, all of which were defended and supported by the Leader of the House (Penny Mordaunt).”

She asked if Ms Mordaunt would apologise for her role in supporting Ms Truss while in office.

Ms Powell said: “Will she bring forward legislation to stop our House being brought further into disrepute by the prime minister elevating her cronies to the House of Lords?

“We have had no contrition. It’s the Leader of the House’s job to uphold the integrity of this place and its members in the eyes of the public.”

Ms Mordaunt said Ms Powell supported Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership of the Labour Party but focused her response in the Commons on other points raised by her opposite number and highlighting new figures that upgraded the assessment for the UK’s economic performance since the pandemic.

We have not yet seen the list for the previous prime minister

Cabinet Office minister Alex Burghart

The question of a potential resignation honours list for Ms Truss was also raised earlier in the Commons as MPs put questions to Cabinet Office ministers.

SNP MP Patricia Gibson (North Ayrshire and Arran) said Ms Truss was the shortest-serving prime minister and “still managed to crash the economy” – but will “enjoy the privilege of ennobling pals and cronies”.

Ms Gibson asked: “Does the Cabinet Office, does the Prime Minister, does the Cabinet feel this inappropriate in any way? And can he tell the House whether he thinks such a spectacle will help restore trust in politics?”

Cabinet Office minister Alex Burghart said: “We have not yet seen the list for the previous prime minister. And I think it’s worthwhile remembering that people who are honoured in our system have often contributed greatly to our country.”