According to data from the House of Commons Library, 71 ministers and whips who resigned over the past year are likely eligible for severance packages totalling over €800,000, under both Boris Johnson and Liz Truss.
In a tumultuous year in UK politics, 79 ministers and whips have resigned from their roles in Westminster, with the majority able to gain compensation for every day they worked.
Truss, who resigned last week after just six weeks in office, is eligible to claim €443 per day that she served – meaning she could receive nearly €20,000 in severance. That’s on top of the €114,000 she can receive as a lifetime allowance – so long as she remains serving in government.
The biggest payouts go to Truss’ justice secretary Brandon Lewis and former chancellor of the exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng, who can receive up to €18,000 each.
Lewis qualifies for two payments. He served as Northern Ireland secretary until June, under Boris Johnson, and then as justice minister under Truss. He lost his position in the most recent government reshuffle.
Anyone leaving a paid position in government can claim severance, regardless of whether they willingly resigned, were fired, or stepped down in disgrace.
Severance pay is accounted for and published in the country’s annual reports. In 2010, Labour’s severance packages topped €1 million.
