A TORY donor has been sacked as a minister after less than a month, despite being given a peerage to do the job.

Dominic Johnson, a former business partner of ex-business secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg, spent just 26 days as minister for investment after his appointment by Liz Truss on October 2.

The Northern Echo: Liz Truss

His dismissal was confirmed by an update to the Government’s website on Monday, which said he had left office on October 28.

Shortly after his appointment as a minister, he was given a seat in the House of Lords to enable him to carry out his role, becoming Lord Johnson of Lainston on October 19.

Despite no longer being a government minister, he will retain his peerage unless he chooses to give it up voluntarily.

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Prior to his appointment, Lord Johnson founded Somerset Capital with Rees-Mogg in 2007.

Lord Johnson also served as vice-chairman of the Conservative Party between 2016 and 2019, and has donated more than £250,000 to the party since 2014.

His appointment was criticised by Labour, with shadow trade secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds describing him as an “unelected asset fund manager” and “crony party donor”, and saying his appointment “beggars belief”.

Simon Murray, who also became a peer on October 19 to enable him to do a ministerial job, has been retained at the Home Office by the new Prime Minister but has been demoted from minister of state to parliamentary under-secretary.