Blind Olympian, a Tory donor and ex-Met officer are among new peers

 
1 August 2013
WEST END FINAL

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David Cameron and Nick Clegg were accused of stuffing the House of Lords with cronies today as 30 new peers were created, including donors and lobbyists.

The list swelled the Upper Chamber to some 755 active members — or 838 members including 53 who do not sit — despite David Cameron’s promise to “cut the cost of politics”.

The Lords is bigger than the European Parliament, whose 766 MEPs represent 500 million people. It is second only in size in the entire world to the Chinese National People’s Congress, which has 2,987 members representing a superstate of 1.3 billion.

There were names to cheer. Blind swimmer Chris Holmes, who won nine gold medals in his heyday and was director for integration at the 2012 Paralympics, becomes a Tory working peer.

Campaigner Doreen Lawrence, mother of murdered teenager Stephen, becomes a Labour peer. But most were wealthy donors, party apparatchiks and well-placed helpers.

The 14 Tories, 10 Lib-Dems, five Labour and one Green include:

JCB digger tycoon Sir Anthony Bamford, one of the biggest Tory donors. His name was first proposed by Mr Cameron in 2010 but reportedly delayed by watchdogs. The Bamford family has given about £2.5 million to the Tories in recent years.

Alison Suttie, a key aide to Nick Clegg who is said to have shielded him from the Lord Rennard sex scandal.

London Assembly Green leader Jenny Jones, an ex-deputy mayor and the sole new Green, chosen by a vote of party activists.

Ex-Met officer Brian Paddick, twice-failed Lib-Dem candidate for Mayor of London, who gets a life peerage.

James Palumbo, Ministry of Sound nightclub and music label founder and Lib-Dem donor.

Party fundraisers and donors including Tory treasurer Howard Leigh, Lib-Dem treasurer Sir Ian Wrigglesworth, and Labour lobbyist Jon Mendelsohn. Also joining the Labour benches is Sir Charles Allen, non-executive director of London 2012’s organising committee and Global Radio Group chairman.

The new peers will cost the nation up to £1.3 million annually, including allowances of up to £42,000 each a year. No 10 said Mr Cameron tried to halve the House of Lords through Nick Clegg’s failed reform Bill. “At the moment the Labour Party is over-represented which is why we have to appoint more Tories and Lib-Dems.”

Alexandra Runswick, director of Unlock Democracy, said: “It is the usual list of party donors and cronies with a handful of more notable people to distract people’s attention away from the fundamental lack of legitimacy.”

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