Former PMs Liz Truss and Boris Johnson pocket almost £20k each in severance payments

Liz Truss and her sacked Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng received a combined total of almost £40,000 in severance payments when they were forced out of office last year.

Truss, who served in Number 10 for just 49 days, was given £18,660 of taxpayers cash after the economic turmoil from her ill-fated mini budget.

Kwasi Kwarteng, who was sacked by Ms Truss in an effort to save her premiership, was given £16,876, according to the Treasury's annual accounts published on Thursday.

The papers also reveal that Boris Johnson, the now-disgraced predecessor of Ms Truss, pocketed the same amount as her in severance payments from the Treasury.

Among those to receive payments was Chris Pincher, who resigned as deputy chief whip in June last year over allegations he groped two men at an exclusive members club in London.

The Commons Standards Committee recommended earlier this month he be suspended from the House for eight weeks, after upholding the allegations and finding he had damaged the reputation of the Commons.

Mr Pincher received a severance payment of £7,920 after stepping down.

The Treasury accounts show the extent of severance payments made to ministers in the wake of last year's mass resignations.

Rishi Sunak, who resigned as Chancellor under Boris Johnson, also received £16,876.

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