Andy Burnham calls House of Lords ‘a national embarrassment’

Reforms are needed to ensure no more “donors and bag carriers” enter the House of Lords, the crossbencher Lady Deech has said, a day after David Cameron appointed 45 new peers to the second chamber – including some former MPs caught up in the expenses scandal.

Apart from those set aside for 26 Church of England bishops, the seats are held for life.

“They should hang their heads in shame”.

How large is the House of Lords?

When he wrote to the Prime Minister on this issue, David Cameron replied: “I have committed previously to keeping the party peers under review and will, of course, give further consideration to the points you raise when we come to consider recommendations over the course of this parliament”.

It is desperately disappointing that to many people outside Westminster, the impression that they have of the House of Lords is that espoused by the press over the course of this summer following the reported behaviour of Lord Sewel.

The government has previously tried to encourage peers to retire.

Tim Farron has already written to leaders of all parties in the Commons and Lords – as well as crossbench peers – urging them to back the case for reform.

“This is a sorry list of rejected and retired party politicians – cronies and hangers-on with big cheque books”.

Other controversial inclusions on Cameron’s list were a City banker who donated millions to the Conservative Party, the CEO of a firm criticized several months ago for failing to pay its staff the minimum wage, and a high-profile entrepreneur who founded a lingerie company.

Former Number 10 policy director James O’Shaughnessy is becoming a peer, as is Iain Duncan Smith’s ex-special adviser Philippa Stroud and Tory Party vice-chairman Kate Rock – a close ally of Chancellor George Osborne.

One of those denied a peerage was former Lib Dem MP David Laws, who lasted just 17 days as Chief Secretary to the Treasury in the Coalition before quitting over an expenses scandal involving his secret boyfriend.

Constitutional experts say it was ever thus – the Labour government was defeated 88 times in 2002-3 – and it would be unhealthy, and potentially unsafe, for a single party to have a majority in the Upper House if it is to properly fulfil its role of being a revising Chamber and help to hold the executive to account.

Martyn Rose, chairman of Floreat Education, said: “It is not only a testament to the drive and leadership he has shown but also an acknowledgment of all the great work Floreat has been undertaking to promote educational excellence in the UK”.

The commission’s vetting programme considers whether individuals’ past behaviour could be seen to bring the Lords into disrepute and whether they are of “good standing in the community and with the public regulatory authorities”.

According to the latest House of Lords annual report, net operating costs for the chamber were £94.4m for 2014/15. Of this sum, a startling £20.7 million was spent on members’ expenses and allowances.