Liz Truss urged to rule out giving Boris Johnson job in her Cabinet

Jon Stone

11 August 2022 at 11:01 am·3-min read

Liz Truss backed Boris Johnson while other ministers brought him down (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Liz Truss has been urged to rule out giving Boris Johnson a ministerial job in her Cabinet – and to keep a sleaze investigation into his conduct open.

The foreign secretary, who is the frontrunner for next prime minister, has hinted she would like to stop the privileges committee probe into whether Mr Johnson misled parliament.

She raised eyebrows on Tuesday evening after saying she she would in principle vote to cancel the investigation.

And she and Rishi Sunak are yet to say whether they keep Mr Johnson in front line politics, or give him a peerage or knighthood.

In a letter to Ms Truss Liberal Democrat Cabinet Office spokesperson Christine Jardine urged the likely next PM to rule out coming to Mr Johnson's rescue.

And she said it was vital that the next PM "commits to restoring standards in public life" by ruling out gongs Mr Johnson, among other pledges.

The opposition party also said Ms Truss should put on record that she would resign if she lied to parliament.

And the liberals want the ministerial code to be written into law, with a new independent advisor to oversee it.

"During his three years as Prime Minister, Boris Johnson has comprehensively trashed standards in public life," the letter says.

"From the highly concerning decisions regarding the appointment of Chris Pincher to the Prime Minister’s lies over partygate; from the Owen Paterson affair to the Downing Street flat renovation, we have seen scandal after scandal engulf the Government.

"This has all done enormous damage to public trust in politics. For the good of our democracy, it is essential that we seize the moment of the Prime Minister's departure to restore that trust and make politics work for the British people once again."

Ms Truss and her campaign have yet to respond to the letter. When Mr Johnson was forced from office last month Ms Truss was notable among ministers for saying she backed his leadership.

UK news in pictures

10 August 2022: A tanker from Thames Water delivers a temporary water supply to the village of Northend in Oxfordshire, where the water company is pumping water into the supply network following a technical issue at Stokenchurch Reservoir (PA)

9 August 2022: Students (from left) Sophie Thwaites, Aaliyah McLaine, Michael Stewart, Aaron Boyack and Claire McNab at Auchmuty High School in Glenrothes, Fife, check their results as high school pupils across Scotland find out their exam results (PA)

8 August 2022: James Willstrop and Declan James of Team England compete with Adrian Waller and Daryl Selby of Team England during the squash men’s doubles gold medal match on the last day of the Commonwealth Games (Getty)

7 August 2022: Ojie Edoburun of England takes the gold medal in the 4x100 Men’s Relay on Day 10 of the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham (EPA)

6 August 2022: People walk on parched ground in Greenwich Park in London (EPA)

5 August 2022: England's Anthony Harding and England's Jack Laugher competes to win and take the gold medal in the men's synchronised 3m springboard diving final on day eight of the Commonwealth Games at Sandwell Aquatics Centre in Birmingham, central England (AFP/Getty)

4 August 2022: The Top Secret Drum Corps from Switzerland during the working rehearsal for this year's Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, entitled Voices, at Redford Barracks, Edingburgh (PA)

3 August 2022: England’s Emily Campbell celebrates after winning gold in the women’s 87+kg weightlifting at the Commonwealth Games (Getty)

2 August 2022: Circus company Lost in Translation show off some tricks at the top of Calton Hill in Edinburgh (Getty)

1 August 2022: England's players celebrate during a victory party in Trafalgar Square in central London (AFP/Getty)

31 July 2022: England's striker Chloe Kelly celebrates after scoring her team second goal during the UEFA Women's Euro 2022 final football match between England and Germany at the Wembley stadium (AFP/Getty)

Mr Johnson himself has yet to say whether he will seek a new government role, or even stay as an MP – but his political career could be given an indefinite extension if Ms Truss gives him a life seat in the House of Lords.

He has reportedly told aides that he could make a comeback, and even become prime minister again – in an apparent attempt to emulate Winston Churchill.

“The public have lost all trust in Conservative politicians. In scandal after scandal they have proven themselves to be the party of lies, law-breaking, and corruption," Lib Dem constitution spokesperson Ms Jardine said.

“Both Truss and Sunak propped Boris Johnson up for months, and Truss’s comments are just the latest attempt to bend the rules and let Johnson get away with his disgraceful behaviour. He is clearly unfit to hold public office, let alone receive any kind of honour or peerage.

“We cannot have an Owen Paterson 2.0. As trust in politicians is at an all time low, it is vital that the Conservatives clean up their act.

“Mending our broken politics must be a priority for the next Prime Minister. The Conservative Party is so submerged in sleaze that it has been unable to do anything to address the NHS crisis, the transport chaos or the cost of living emergency.”