The Tories and Labour are stuffing the undemocratic House of Lords with donors and cronies according to new data revealed by Open Democracy.
The analysis found the share of Tory and Labour appointees who were either donors or had political connections was almost identical at around 83%.
Scandal-ridden Boris Johnson, who was found to have nominated the most donors, appointed 14 donors who had, altogether, donated £17 million to the Conservative Party, nominating almost double that of David Cameron, who had the second highest rate.
As for Labour leaders, 93% of Miliband’s 16 appointments had party links or were donors, while for Starmer the figure was 84% (11 of 13) and for Corbyn it was 66% (8 of 12).
Miliband’s appointments donated £2.2m, Starmer’s £125,401 and Corbyn’s £7,940.
SNP MP Tommy Sheppard said the figures showed how “archaic and broken” the Westminster system is, and called out Labour “hypocrisy” over their repeated promises to reform the broken and undemocratic House of Lords.
Commenting, Tommy Sheppard MP said:
“Once again Labour and the Tories are joined at the hip on another key issue and blind to the mood of the public.
“It’s a sad indictment on our so-called democracy in the UK that it isn’t even surprising that both Labour and Tory leaders have abused their privileges to appoint party donors and cronies to unelected lifelong seats in the Lords.
“Cronyism is alive and well with a functioning pay for power system thriving in the halls of Westminster, where donors are rewarded for propping up Labour and the Tories.
“The undemocratic House of Lords is an affront to democracy, and in no way shape or form represents the ordinary people of Scotland.
“And yet, with both Labour and the Tories committed to preserving the institution we’re forced to watch as democracy and basic principles are eroded in the name of this dated and unelected second chamber.
“These figures aren’t just further proof of how Westminster is broken, they also lay bare the hypocrisy of Labour who for decades have promised reform while stuffing the Lords with donors and cronies to meet their own real agenda.
“The status quo may work for them, but it doesn’t for Scotland.
“The Westminster system is archaic and broken beyond repair, and the only escape is with the full powers of independence.”
