JOBS IN LORDS FOR 15 MAJOR TORY DONORS

£50m in coffers for 3 big parties

FIFTEEN wealthy Tory donors have been given jobs for life in the House of Lords over the past 13 years, analysis has revealed.

And in total, 22 rich donors have been made peers – giving £50.4million to the main three parties, personally or through their related companies.

Billionaire businessman Michael Spencer became the latest wealthy donor to be ennobled on Friday.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has nominated 36 peers, 19 of whom are Tory, including his own brother Jo.

Downing Street insisted the PM believes the Lords should be shrunk.

But analysis of the biggest donors over 13 years by the Financial Times found 308 peers were created in total.

Of these, 15 were Tory donors, three were from Labour and four were Liberal Democrats.

The majority of cash came from Tory-backing businessmen, including £3.5m from Stanley Fink, £8.2m from Anthony Bamford, £8.6m from Michael Farmer, £3.3m from James Lupton, £3.4m from Alexander Fraser and £2m from David Brownlow.

Former Tory treasurer Mr Spencer donated £6m through his firm IPGL.

Darren Hughes, of the Electoral Reform Society, said: “Pressure is mounting for an overhaul of the

Lords , after this shocking batch of cronyistic appointments.

“Even the Lord Speaker recognises this situation is untenable. At over 800 members, this bloated chamber is making a mockery of democracy.”

Lord Speaker Norman Fowler has said the number of appointments encouraged peers who were “frankly passengers”. But the PM’s spokesman said: “Given retirements and other departures, new members are needed to ensure appropriate expertise.”

A Tory Party spokesman told the FT: “Party donations do not play any part in the selection process.”