Twenty-two major donors given peerages by Westminster parties.
The SNP has called for a new ‘cash-for-honours’ public inquiry to determine the role of major political party donations in appointments to the House of Lords.
The call comes after research by the Financial Times found at least twenty-two donors have been given peerages by the Tories, Labour and Liberal Democrats in the past thirteen years – with donations amounting to £50.4million between the three Westminster parties.
It follows a slew of new Tory and Labour appointments to the Lords last week, including Boris Johnson’s brother, party donors, Brexiteers, political apparatchiks, and Tory MSP Ruth Davidson – with reports that more donors could be rewarded in the year ahead.
Commenting, SNP MP Pete Wishart (pictured) said:
“The House of Lords is utterly undemocratic and should have been abolished decades ago – but the Westminster parties have clung on to it and used it to reward their donors and cronies.
“It might just be an amazing coincidence that so many major donors to the Tories, Labour and Liberal Democrats have all been given peerages but many will conclude that the system stinks.
“It’s time for a fresh ‘cash-for-honours’ public inquiry to determine the role that political donations are playing in the Westminster establishment and appointments to the Lords.
“The Westminster system is rotten to its core.
“It is ridiculous that Tory and Labour leaders have been able to hand out peerages like sweeties to their friends, family, and donors like a banana republic.
“In any other country that would rightly be considered corrupt.
“Baroness-in-waiting Ruth Davidson had any integrity she would hand her own peerage back and refuse to sit in this archaic swamp of Brexit cranks, donors and apparatchiks.
“Westminster is broken beyond repair.
“It is clearer than ever that the best future for Scotland is to build a fairer and democratic society as an independent country.”
