Liz Truss is holding a series of parities at Chequers, the prime minister’s countryside residence, this weekend in a bid farewell to ministers and staff who supported her fleeting premiership.
Ms Truss survived just 45 days in No 10, consigning herself to the history books as Britain’s shortest serving prime minister.
Announcing her decision at the Downing Street lecturn on Thursday afternoon, the outgoing PM confirmed there will be another leadership election to be completed within the week.
Ms Truss held a party for ministers last night, and will host a second shindig tonight to thank her close aides, reports The Sunday Times.
Prime ministers must cover the cost of private events held in the 16th-century Buckinghamshire manor
The bill for any private entertainment or party business held at Chequers is footed by the PM.
Ms Truss’s farewell gatherings follow a series of events held by her predecessor Boris Johnson at the Buckinghamshire manor over his summer as caretaker prime minister.
Mr Johnson and his wife Carrie had intended to host their delayed wedding party at the prime minister’s grace and favour residence during his final days in office, but were forced to change the location after the plans were leaked.
Unlike Mr Johnson’s protracted and public farewell to office, Ms Truss has been keeping relatively a low profile.
It comes as she faces pushback over how she will use the privileges afforded to former prime ministers in light of her six-week tenure.
There has been paritcular scrutiny over whether she will claim the £115,000 allowance offered to ex-leaders to assist former prime ministers still active in public life.
The allowance was arranged in the wake of the resignation of Margaret Thatcher in 1990, and announced by her predecessor, John Major, in March the following year.
Former prime ministers have claimed back millions since the genesis of the scheme for office and secretarial costs as a result of “their special position in public life.”
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer told ITV’s Good Morning Britain on Friday that Ms Truss should “turn down” the money.
“I think that’s the right thing to do,” she said. “She’s done 44 days in office, she’s not really entitled to it, she should turn it down and not take it.”
The Liberal Democrat leader, Ed Davey, also said she should turn down the allowance.
