Liz Truss lasted just 45 days as prime minister, quitting after her extremely limited budget was blamed for the crash of the British pound and subsequent economic instability. She replaced Boris Johnson after he resigned from the post under the cloud of multiple scandals.
Traces of a white powder suspected to be cocaine were found at a government “grace-and-favor” home after a party attended by political allies of former Prime Minister Liz Truss, according to sources who spoke exclusively to the Guardian.
The powder was discovered in the Chevening estate last summer, just days before Truss was elected the leader of the Tory Party and tapped as prime minister. At the time, Truss served as UK foreign secretary.
Members of the estate staff say they tested the white powder and it came back positive for containing cocaine. Under UK laws, cocaine possession can result in seven years in prison and a fine.
Separate sources also told the Guardian that traces of a similar white powder were found after parties at 10 Downing Street when Boris Johnson served as prime minister. It is understood that Johnson did not attend those parties.
The Chevening estate is a “grace-and-favor” home, which means it is owned by the Monarchy and is leased out (usually for free) to officials as part of a payment package or in gratitude for past services. The Chevening estate is traditionally granted to the foreign secretary. It sits on 3,000 acres and is maintained by a trust established by parliament.
The staff at the Chevening estate say they found the white powder on two occasions on a table in a game room. Truss hosted gatherings at the house on the weekend of August 19-21 and September 2-4 of this year.
None of the sources suggested that either Truss or Johnson used or were aware of the alleged white substance. They also did not say who was responsible for bringing it to the residences.
The parties at 10 Downing Street where a white substance was allegedly found by staff were already investigated for breaking lockdown laws by senior civil servant Sue Gray. Her investigation did not mention drug use at the parties.
But cleaning staff say they found small plastic bags and traces of white powder the morning after a Christmas party in December 2020. The staff suspected the material was drugs because it was found among evidence of partying, including empty cans and food wrappers.
The staff also said they found white powder after a party on the eve of Prince Phillips’ funeral. They say a smudged line of white powder was found next to a UK department store membership card. It is not known who that card belonged to.
Johnson’s administration cracked down on what it called middle-class drug use, saying users could have their passports confiscated to “interfere with their lives.” Truss’ administration said curbing drug use was a “priority” but she was ousted before any significant drug policies were proposed.
A spokesperson for Truss has vehemently denied the accusations put forth in the Guardian report. “If there were evidence that this alleged activity had occurred during her use of Chevening, Ms Truss would have expected to have been informed and for the relevant authorities to have properly investigated the matter. As it is, the Guardian has produced no evidence to support these spurious claims.”
A spokesperson for Johnson said he was unaware of any suggestions of drug use at 10 Downing Street.
“Boris Johnson is surprised by these allegations since he has not previously been made aware of any suggestions of drug use in 10 Downing Street and as far as he is aware no such claims were made to Sue Gray or to any other investigators," the spokesperson said.
“It was a feature of Mr Johnson’s premiership that he strongly campaigned against drug use, especially middle-class drug use. His government made huge investments in tougher policing to help roll up county lines drugs gangs, which cause so much misery. He repeatedly called for harsher punishments for the use and distribution of class A drugs.”
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