TIME TO DERAIL THIS GRAVY TRAIN

Fury over cost of freeloading peers as size of Lords edges towards 1,000

ANGER was mounting over peers’ expenses last night after disgraced Baron Sewel admitted many members of the House of Lords received money for doing ‘f*** all’.

Demands were growing for reform of the upper chamber amid fresh allega - tions of widespread abuse by peers living high on the hog.

Currently there are just over 800 members of the Lords but the number could soar to more than 1,000 if it continues at the current pace of growth.

It is already the second biggest legisla - ture in the world after China ’s politburo, which has 2,987 members.

Concern over the bloated size of the House has intensified ahead of the forth - coming Dissolution Honours List, when David Cameron is set to appoint dozens of Tories to the Lords in an effort to push his policies through Parliament .

Members who are not paid a salary can claim a taxpayer-funded daily allowance of £300. But during a cocaine -fuelled rant, Sewel said this was routinely abused. He mistakenly says the perk is £200. Bleating about his financial difficulties, despite pocketing an annual salary of £84,525, he was filmed telling prostitutes: ‘Members of her Lordship ’s House, who are right thieves, rogues and b*******. Wonderful people that they are.

‘The trouble is these f****** s**** who live in London and don’t have to pay rent. They’ve already got a house in London. They get exactly the same so it ’s free money to them.

‘I mean the lawyers, the people in the City, people like that. They’re coming in. They do f*** all work in the Lords, they’re picking up their £200. P eople like me who have to rent somewhere – I don ’t know...’

He added: ‘ I don ’ t have to provide any receipts or anything f or the £ 200. The f act I turn up means I get £200 a day . I could spend it on whatever I want to. I do spend it on wine and different things.’

Because of lax financial checks, the money is paid even if they do not actually do any work.

Sewel’s comments could not have come at a more unhelpful time as the P rime Minister prepares to publish his Dissolution Honours List. He is expected to ennoble at least 35 new Conservatives amid fears he does not have enough support in the upper house to win battles on Europe and welfare.

The names of the new peers were expected last week , when P arliament broke up for its summer break. But the list has been put on the backburner amid whispers of a row over how many peers Mr Cameron should be allowed to create.

He is likely to give peerages to

‘I turn up… and get £200 a day’

loyal politicians, including David Willetts and W illiam Hague – as well as controversially ennobling placemen who helped run Down - ing Street and push the Tories over the winning line in the election.

This would create a large Con- servative voting bloc to pass more of the party’s policies through the Lords.

The list of new peers from all parties would take the size of the Lords up to around 840. Under House of Lords rules, peers only have to sign in personally at Westminster to get their hands on the £300-a-day allowance.

However there have been a series of embarrassments over recent years when members of the House were found to be claiming the allowance for only the briefest vis - its to Westminster, or incorrectly claiming for housing.

Last night Andy Silvester , campaigns director of the T axpayers’ Alliance pressure group, said: ‘W e have to have proper checks and balances to ensure that everybody claiming a daily allowance is working for it, and the P arliamentary authorities must take a more active role in reminding peers of their responsibilities when claiming.

‘Taxpayers will be keeping a close eye on the second chamber – it ’s crucial that it keeps the Govern - ment honest, but there will come a point when the sheer size of the house makes that difficult.’

A Parliamentary source told the Daily Mail: ‘Sewel’s comments will simply add to the feeling that too many members of the House of Lords are on the gravy train and playing fast and loose with tax - payer-funded perks and that it is time to stop it in its tracks.’