The SNP is urging Labour MPs to back a bold new amendment banning peerages for big donors as Westminster gears up for a pivotal vote on the House of Lords reform bill.
The amendment, introduced by SNP MP Pete Wishart, seeks to end the long-criticised practice of appointing wealthy political donors to the House of Lords — a move that comes as an investigation revealed that a quarter of Lords appointments over the last decade were awarded to major party donors, totalling over £50 million in contributions.
While Wishart’s previous attempt to abolish the House of Lords outright was blocked, this amendment, which prohibits parties from appointing anyone who has donated over £11,180, has made it to today’s debate, drawing strong reactions from those calling for a more transparent and fair political system.
The issue, often dubbed “cash for honours,” first gained notoriety when Labour and Tory donors received peerages in exchange for large donations and loans, leading to arrests and an investigation that famously involved then-Labour leader Tony Blair.
Despite the scandal and subsequent promises, no ban was ever enacted, leaving many questioning the integrity of Lords appointments.
Wishart, the SNP’s Deputy Leader at Westminster, did not mince words, criticising Labour for falling short of its long-standing promise to abolish the Lords, a pledge first made by the party over a century ago.
He called the current bill “embarrassing,” adding that Labour’s refusal to back the SNP amendment would suggest they still intend to “stuff the House of Lords with their millionaire donors.”
The SNP’s stance is clear: they are calling for a complete abolition of the House of Lords, which Wishart deems “an archaic institution of the kind you’d find in a banana republic.”
He highlighted the cost of maintaining the chamber — more than £200 million a year — as unjustifiable for a body filled with unelected members, many of whom receive their seats through a financial connection to the ruling parties.
As it stands, Peers are paid £342 a day simply for attending the chamber, yet an SNP proposal to tax these payments as income was swiftly dismissed.
Wishart is urging Labour MPs to join the SNP in backing the amendment, arguing that the mere presence of a “price-tag” on peerages is “beyond the pale.”
In his closing remarks, Wishart stated:
“This afternoon I urge Labour MPs to end this murky practice by voting for the SNP amendment,” challenging them to prove their commitment to meaningful reform.”
Today’s vote could mark a critical turning point for the House of Lords — either towards greater accountability or, as the SNP warns, a continued slide into a pay-to-play system that raises serious questions about democracy at Westminster.
