Living costs tsar David Buttress called for Boris Johnson to go

The UK government has recruited a man with a history of criticising Boris Johnson to be its new cost of living tsar.

Former chief executive of Just Eat, David Buttress, has been appointed to come up with ideas to tackle rising living costs.

Mr Buttress supports Welsh independence and called for Boris Johnson to quit over Partygate in January.

Downing Street said it carried out "the requisite due diligence".

Mr Buttress was appointed to the unpaid "cost of living business tsar" role by Cabinet Office Minister Steve Barclay on Tuesday.

After the announcement a number of critical tweets and comments by Mr Buttress came to light.

In a tweet sent the day after an email revealed Downing Street staff were invited to a "bring you own drinks" event, the former CEO said: "Boris has to go, he just has to. You can't survive judgment like this."

The message was deleted on Tuesday.

In another tweet in April, Mr Buttress said: "No party in the last hundred years has done more damage to Wales than the Conservatives. The historical evidence here is painfully clear."

He wrote "voting Tory in Wales is a form of self harm" in a separate tweet.

Mr Buttress also criticised Mr Johnson at a YesCymru Welsh independence event in January 2020, where he said: "Time is up for Westminster for me.

"Let them have the kind of Parliament and government that they want. Let them fill it with Boris Johnsons and right-wing extremism - have what they like - but that's not the Wales I know."

He said that "Westminster doesn't care" about the country in the speech, where he said independence felt like an "answer" to child poverty.

The founder of Just Eat, who grew up in Cwmbran, is a partner at venture capital firm 83North, and is a non-executive chairman of Newport-based Dragons Rugby.

In its announcement the UK government said Mr Buttress will work with the private sector to "identify, develop and promote" new business-led initiatives that support people with the rising cost of living.

Mr Barclay said: "I am delighted to have David Buttress on board, bringing with him a wealth of experience along with the vigour and ingenuity of business to go even further in efforts to support British families throughout this difficult time."

Mr Buttress said: "The rising cost of living that we are all facing, both in the UK and globally, provides business and industry with a unique challenge and opportunity to do our bit."

The prime minister's official spokesman said that Mr Buttress "has a very clear task with regards to cost of living" and is "well qualified" to advise the government in this area.

They added that the previous views he had expressed "are not relevant to the roles he is doing".

A passionate supporter of Welsh independence, Mr Buttress was also interviewed about his pro-independence views in 2020 by Guto Harri, who is now director of communications for No.10 Downing Street but was presenter of S4C's Y Byd yn ei Le programme at the time.

Mr Buttress offered on Twitter in July 2021 to help YesCymru for free, after former chairman Siôn Jobbins quit the pro-independence group, "perhaps as a non-executive Chair".

No such appointment took place, although he told the National Wales newspaper last September he had spoken to "one or two" YesCymru figures and that he was still talking to them.

Before the January 2022 tweet emerged, a UK government source said: "He's got an impressive business record.

"Cost of living is above politics, we're putting the best person in for the job because it's a huge challenge and politics need to be put to one side."

Shadow Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens said: "If this Tory government was really serious about tackling the cost of living crisis, it would appoint a new chancellor who doesn't lose billions to fraudsters and doesn't waste billions more by paying too much in interest servicing the government debt."The government's new cost of living tsar should suggest the Conservatives urgently look at a rapid, national programme to insulate homes to cut energy bills in the long term, as Labour will do."

"As for the previous observations he's made about the prime minister and the Tory government's policies, he sounds like he has the measure of them both."

Plaid Cymru's Treasury spokesperson Ben Lake said: "Westminster policies have exacerbated the current cost of living crisis - from a decade of austerity to building crippling trade barriers with our nearest partners.

"David Buttress has in the past made the compelling case for Wales to set our own fiscal policy and investment agenda in order to lift people out of poverty. I hope he makes that case directly to the UK government in his new role."

Mr Buttress was asked to comment.