Liz Truss has been hit with furious backlash after attempting to hand out more than 10 resignation honours to close allies, despite spending just 49 days in office.
The former Prime Minister was forced to resign after presiding over a disastrous mini-budget that sent the markets into meltdown.
She has attempted to nominate 12 people for peerages in the House of Lords, the Sun revealed, many of which are individuals who supported her leadership bid.
Former Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng, a long-term friend and former ally of Ms Truss, does not make the list.
Reacting to the news, one Whitehall insider accused Ms Truss of “taking the p***”.
READ MORE: Truss urges crackdown on Iran as controversial IRGC given $1bn bonanza
They told the Sun on Sunday: “We all know that former Prime Ministers are entitled to resignation honours lists – and that is fair enough.
“But Liz is just doling out gongs to her mates who helped to mastermind her leadership bid, rather than the people who’ve spent a lifetime running her constituency office or something.
“It takes the p***.”
Earlier this year, Ms Truss nominated four close allies to become peers in the House of Lords.
In line for peerages are Brexit campaigner Matthew Elliott, Tory donor Jon Moynihan, aide Ruth Porter and think-tank chief Mark Littlewood.
Both Labour and the Liberal Democrats called on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to block the move.
Deputy Labour Leader Angela Rayner called it a “list of shame”, saying the former PM and her supporters “took a wrecking ball to the economy in a disastrous six-week premiership that has left millions facing mortgage misery”.
Any outgoing prime minister is able to recommend people for honours after they’ve resigned, although not all have chosen to.
A poll of Express.co.uk readers conducted last month found that a staggering 86 percent of oppose Ms Truss appointing just four people for resignation honours.
The poll, which ran from 11.30am on Tuesday, March 28, to 1.30pm on Wednesday, April 5, asked readers: “Should Liz Truss be allowed to appoint resignation honours?”
Overall, 6,185 votes were cast, with the overwhelming majority, 86 percent (5,295 people), answering, “no”, compared to 14 percent (855 people) who said, “yes”, she should be allowed to. Just 35 people said they did not know.
