David Cameron faces cronyism claims over Tory peerages

Former ministers featured heavily on the Conservative list, with Sir George Young, David Willetts and Greg Barker joining Mr Hague and Mr Lansley in the Lords.

Instead the prime minister has said he wants to “make sure the House of Lords more accurately reflects the situation in the House of Commons”.

Mr Foster, MP for Bath from 1992 to 2015, told the BBC the process was “absolute nonsense” but denied it was hypocritical to accept a life peerage, along with the £300-a-day allowance for days attended.

“They should hang their heads in shame”. He tabled a number of questions in Parliament asking if the Government “plans to address the disparity in representation in the House of Lords between the Liberal Democrats and UKIP”.

Mr Robathan is one of 26 Tories awarded with a lifetime peerage in the latest round of honours.

However, critics warn he has handed out new peerages at a faster rate than any prime minister since Harold McMillan in 1958.

The government has previously tried to encourage peers to retire.

However, Lib Dem members have stood by their commitment to reform, and on Thursday party leader Tim Farron announced 11 new peers who are equally dedicated “to root and branch reform”.

FURIOUS pro-democracy campaigners slammed Tory attempts yesterday to stuff the House of Lords with party stooges.

At the moment, it is nearly impossible for the Tories to get a measure through if Labour and the Lib Dems decide to join forces – as is predicted to happen a lot over the next five years – and win over numerous 179 influential crossbenchers to their cause.

Downing Street defended Cameron and Osborne’s appointments, however, arguing that only 31 percent of peers in the House of Lords are Conservatives.

Additional appointments are the openly gay former Chief of Staff to Liberal-Democrat leader Nick Clegg, Johnny Oates, and former Foreign Secretary William Hague, who helped incorporate the firm promotion of global LGBT rights into Britain’s foreign policy.

A FORMER Sussex MP and Government minister has been confirmed among the nominations to take up a seat in the House of Lords.

But its defenders say such numbers are extremely unlikely, given the new mechanisms in place – since 2014 – allowing peers to retire when they no longer feel able to contribute. But they also claimed that there is much to retain at the same time.

Upon the announcement, Iain Duncan Smith, works and pensions secretary, said: “I am delighted Michelle has agreed to lead this review”. It would bring the whole system of governance into greater contempt than ever, a worrying result given the already broken relationship between the Lords and the people following a series of scandals.

The increasing cost of the Lords, who can claim up to 300 pounds ($460) per day for attending parliament, at a time of public sector pay restrictions and public spending cuts has boosted calls for reform or outright abolition of the chamber.