Cameron under fire over ‘absurd’ Tory peerage for lingerie tycoon
LINGERIE tycoon Michelle Mone will be awarded a peerage as David Cameron pushes forward with plans to stuff the Lords with yet more cronies, it has been revealed.
The Prime Minister will ennoble the Glasgow-born entrepreneur, most famous for modelling her own racy underwear brand Ultimo, as a reward after she opposed Scottish independence and came out for the Tories at the election.
Scottish Nationalist MPs yesterday led the criticism of her appointment, with one describing it as ‘beyond absurd and ridiculous’.
Pressure to reform Parliament’s Upper House has increased since the resignation of Lord Sewel in the wake of drug and prostitution allegations, as well as reports that some peers are claiming allowances without contributing to debates.
But David Cameron has indicated he will appoint a significant number of new Conservative peers, in a move
‘The system is broken’
to redress the political balance in the Lords and which will further swell the ranks of the 790- strong assembly. Downing Street sources yesterday confirmed that Mrs Mone would be on the list of new peers, leading to anger from those calling for Lords reform.
Stewart McDonald, the SNP MP for Glasgow South, said: ‘ Yes, Michelle Mone is a successful entrepreneur, but to become a national legislator overnight without the fuss of an election is obscene.’
And Gavin Newlands, the SNP MP for Paisley and renfrewshire North, added: ‘The system is broken – abolish the House of Lords and do it now.’
Mrs Mone, who was awarded an OBE in 2010, also faced online abuse from pro-independence supporters, with one saying she should now ‘leave Scotland for good’ and others describing her as ‘pretentious’, a ‘fool’ and a ‘traitor’. The 43-year-old mother- of-three split up with her husband in 2011 and it later emerged he was in a relationship with one of their lingerie designers.
Since the split, she has been linked with a string of celebrities including cricketer Shane Warne and footballer robbie Savage.
In November she revealed she had sold 80 per cent of her stake in Ultimo. Mrs Mone, who is said to be worth £20million, will be able to claim up to £300 for every day that she shows up at the House of Lords. During the election campaign, she said: ‘I’ve always been Labour through and through.
‘But I think the Conservatives did inherit a really bad business five years ago, and I think they’ve done a hell of a good job.’