And so the Liz Truss regime ends after a glorious 45 days in power. And, appropriately, in a government where humour and tragedy were so often intwined, the Daily Telegraph is now reporting that Truss intends to draw up her own resignation honours’ list after a mere six weeks in office. Below is a list of Steerpike’s own suggestions mixed up with the predictions of the paper of record. Try to separate the fact from fiction in this list…
Mark Fullbrook – Truss’s gaffe-prone chief of staff who became a weekly feature in the Sunday Times. Truss was the third candidate Fullbrook backed in the summer leadership race after the implosion of Nadhim Zahawi and the defenestration of Penny Mordaunt. Since then Midas Mark has found fame for his lobbying links and backfiring briefings. Surely it’s time for him to join his wife in the Lords?
Kwasi Kwarteng – An economic historian who has done so much to add to the field. For services to academia, Kwarteng must deserve a gong. A ‘K’ for KK would go down nicely in the Greenwich village, the next time he is reunited with his former (and future) neighbour Liz Truss.
Ruth Porter – Fullbrook’s deputy and Truss’s first aide in government, having joined the latter at Defra back in 2014. She saw it all: from pork markets to the mini-Budget. That seems more deserving of a VC than a CBE but needs must.
Therese Coffey – For services to medicine. The Health Secretary certainly did her bit to innovate in the office, dispensing words of wisdoms like the antibiotics she handed out. A longtime colleague and karaoke partner of Truss, Coffey must merit some kind of recognition – if only to avoid her legendary strong-arm tactics.
Patrick Minford, Gerard Lyons and Julian Jessop – described last month as the ‘trio of economists closest to the Truss campaign’, some recognition of their counsel would no doubt be appreciated.
Jason Stein – For services to open government and the royal family.
Comments