THURROCK'S Conservative MP Jackie Doyle-Price has been made a Dame in the resignation honours list of Britain's shortest-serving prime minister, Liz Truss.

The honours list of Ms Truss, who spent just 49 days in office, was announced at the same time as King Charles III's New Year's Honours list.

Longstanding friends: Jackie Doyle-Price with Liz Truss in 1997.

Ms Doyle-Price, 54, who was elected as Thurrock MP in May 2010 and has held the seat through three subsequent elections, is a longstanding friend of Ms Truss and briefly served as a business minister during the short reign.

At the time of Ms Truss's success in the Conservative leadership race, Ms Doyle-Price spoke warmly of her long time friend, saying: "She will always be motivated by the best interests of our country."

Ms Doyle-Price returned to the back benches following the appointment of Rishi Sunak as Prime Minister.

A graduate of the University of Durham, where she read economics and politics, the borough MP who was born in Sheffield told Thurrock Nub News she was 'rather touched and very surprised' at the honour.

In 2015 Ms Doyle-Price was appointed an assistant government whip by Prime Minister David Cameron, and served for just more than two years.

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When Theresa May was Prime Minster, she appointed Ms Doyle-Price as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Mental Health, Inequalities and Suicide Prevention, a post she again held for more than two years.

Ms Doyle-Price, whose interest in politics was sparked as a 14-tear-old, became Thurrock's MP in 2010 - taking the seat that had been previously held by retiring Labour MP Andrew Mackinlay by a majority of 92 after two recounts.

She retained her seat in May 2015, with a majority of 536 after a recount and in June 2017 with a majority of 345 - again after a recount.

In December 2019 she increased her majority massively, to more 11,000 votes, the largest Conservative majority in the seat's history.

Jen Craft, Labour's Parliamentary Candidate for Thurrock said: "Liz Truss's economic gamble created misery for people in Thurrock sending mortgages skyrocketing for thousands of local households.

"Our Tory MP should be standing up for us, but instead has accepted a gong from her mate who was forced to resign after just 49 days in office. 

"This Tory Government continues to reward failure and given the choice our MP thinks first about a title for herself over her constituents."