Liz Truss urged to turn down 'pay cheque for life' after resigning as prime minister

Liz Truss is being urged to turn down a £115,000 a year allowance she will be entitled to as a former prime minister.

This would be in addition to her severance pay, expected to be £18,860 (a quarter of the PM salary) – which works out as £419 for each of the 45 days she held the office.

The money is intended to be used to cover expenses for any office or secretarial costs required for a prime minister’s “special position in public life”.

Those costs could include expenses for Met police protection during public visits, support to charitable work, or staffing on public visits, for example.

The Public Duty Costs Allowance (PDCA) was arranged by then-Cabinet secretary Sir Robin Butler in the wake of Margaret Thatcher’s resignation.

It was then announced by Thatcher’s successor, John Major, in March, 1991.

However, opposition politicians have urged Truss not to take up the entitlement due to the length of her tenure in office.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer told ITV’s Good Morning Britain: “She should turn it down. I think that’s the right thing to do.

“She’s done 44 days in office, she’s not really entitled to it, she should turn it down and not take it.”

The SNP also joined calls for Truss to reject the allowance following her resignation.

Pete Wishart, who represents Perth and North Perthshire, said it would be “unacceptable” for Truss to accept the allowance.

“As Truss prepares to leave Downing Street having barely unpacked, she must rule out accepting the golden allowance of up to £115,000 per year given she resigned after just 45 days,” said the SNP MP.

“In that time, (she) managed to tank the pound, put pensions at risk and sent mortgage payments through the roof.

“Millions of households across Scotland and the UK are struggling to make ends meet and face a bitter winter.

“It would be unacceptable for Liz Truss to walk away after setting fire to the economy with a hefty pay cheque for life.”