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| William Hague among 45 new peers in dissolution honours | William Hague among 45 new peers in dissolution honours |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Prime Minister David Cameron has handed out peerages to 26 Conservatives including former foreign secretary William Hague. | Prime Minister David Cameron has handed out peerages to 26 Conservatives including former foreign secretary William Hague. |
| Some 45 new peers have been appointed - despite criticism that there are too many already. | Some 45 new peers have been appointed - despite criticism that there are too many already. |
| The majority of the new appointees are Tories, with the Lib Dems getting 11 and Labour eight. | The majority of the new appointees are Tories, with the Lib Dems getting 11 and Labour eight. |
| Senior Labour figures to be elevated include David Blunkett, Alistair Darling and Tessa Jowell. | Senior Labour figures to be elevated include David Blunkett, Alistair Darling and Tessa Jowell. |
| Lingerie entrepreneur Michelle Mone, who was recently appointed by the government to carry out a review into how best to encourage start-ups in areas of high unemployment, is to become a Conservative peer. | Lingerie entrepreneur Michelle Mone, who was recently appointed by the government to carry out a review into how best to encourage start-ups in areas of high unemployment, is to become a Conservative peer. |
| Commenting on his elevation to the Lords, former home secretary David Blunkett said he was "very pleased indeed to be offered the opportunity of continuing to make a contribution to public policy". | |
| He added: "My mother would have felt this to be the equivalent of riding in a luxury limousine whereas today, it is more like standing room only on the top of an extremely busy double decker bus! | |
| "Optimistically, it may well be possible to block or delay the worst elements of the Conservative programme where this was not explicitly detailed in their manifesto and therefore legitimised in the general election." | |
| Tory grandees and former MPs David Willetts, Andrew Lansley and Sir George Young are also off to the Lords, as is Douglas Hogg, who gained brief fame during the expenses scandal for claiming the cost of having his moat cleaned, and Ann McIntosh, who was kicked out by her local Conservative Party in Thirsk and Malton. | |
| Seven Lib Dems who lost their seats or stood down at the general election have been elevated to the Lords, including former leader Sir Menzies Campbell, Sir Alan Beith and Lynne Featherstone. | Seven Lib Dems who lost their seats or stood down at the general election have been elevated to the Lords, including former leader Sir Menzies Campbell, Sir Alan Beith and Lynne Featherstone. |
| Who is in the House of Lords? | Who is in the House of Lords? |
| Former Lib Dem ministers Vince Cable and Danny Alexander, who both lost their seats, who are thought to have turned down the chance to enter the Lords, will be knighted. | Former Lib Dem ministers Vince Cable and Danny Alexander, who both lost their seats, who are thought to have turned down the chance to enter the Lords, will be knighted. |
| Former Lib Dem minister David Laws, who resigned in 2010 after an expenses scandal, is understood to have been rejected by the appointments committee. | Former Lib Dem minister David Laws, who resigned in 2010 after an expenses scandal, is understood to have been rejected by the appointments committee. |
| David Cameron has showered Downing Street and Conservative Party backroom figures with peerages and other honours. | |
| Lords reform | Lords reform |
| Those bound for the Lords include Mr Cameron's Downing Street "gatekeeper" Kate Fall, who becomes Lady Fall, former Downing Street policy director James O'Shaughnessy, and Philippa Stroud, a former special adviser to Iain Duncan Smith. | |
| Downing Street said previous prime ministers had all given honours to their aides. | |
| Nick Clegg's former chief of staff Johnny Oates is also heading for the red benches, along with senior Labour strategist Spencer Livermore. | Nick Clegg's former chief of staff Johnny Oates is also heading for the red benches, along with senior Labour strategist Spencer Livermore. |
| The new peers take the number of people entitled to sit in the Lords to 826. | The new peers take the number of people entitled to sit in the Lords to 826. |
| The British House of Lords is the biggest second parliamentary chamber in the world, sparking renewed calls for it to be slimmed down or scrapped in favour of an elected body. | The British House of Lords is the biggest second parliamentary chamber in the world, sparking renewed calls for it to be slimmed down or scrapped in favour of an elected body. |
| But David Cameron has said there is "no point" reviving coalition efforts to reform the Upper House, which stalled acrimoniously following a Tory backbench rebellion. | But David Cameron has said there is "no point" reviving coalition efforts to reform the Upper House, which stalled acrimoniously following a Tory backbench rebellion. |
| He is seeking to boost his party's representation in the Lords to make it easier to get legislation through. | He is seeking to boost his party's representation in the Lords to make it easier to get legislation through. |