Defiant Liz Truss triggers row by handing peerages to allies despite failure as PM

LIZ Truss was defiant last night after triggering a row by handing gongs to allies despite only 49 days in office.

The ex-Prime Minister awarded peerages to Vote Leave bosses Matthew Elliott and Jon Moynihan — who gave £20,000 to her leadership campaign.

And long-term associate Ruth Porter, who served as Ms Truss’s chief of staff, will also be given a Life peerage.

The three were included in what Labour branded a “list of shame” when it was submitted nine months ago.

They called on Rishi Sunak to block it after his predecessor left office following a mini-Budget disaster which saw the Pound plummet.

Bullish Ms Truss stared down criticism saying it was right “these champions for the Conservative causes of freedom and a proud and sovereign Britain” be “suitably honoured.”

Aides are hopeful Mr Sunak will avoid being dragged into the row as MPs do not return from recess until January 8.

But Shadow Cabinet Office Minister Jonathan Ashworth insisted: “Rishi Sunak has nodded through these tarnished gongs because he is too weak to lead a Tory party completely out of touch with working people.”

Lib Dem deputy leader Daisy Cooper said: “This shameless move to reward Liz Truss’s car-crash cronies is matched only by Sunak’s weakness in failing to block it.”

It is a long-standing convention that former PMs submit a resignation honours list.

Ms Truss’s includes eight other colleagues.

A Government source said: “The convention is the incumbent Prime Minister does not block the political peerage proposals of others — be it those from past PMs or dubious Labour Party leader nominations of Tom Watson and Shami Chakrabarti.”