David Cameron rules out Lords reform

David Cameron has ruled out further reforms to the House of Lords in the wake of a scandal involving the Scottish peer Lord Sewel.

Speaking during a trip to Singapore, the Prime Minister indicated he was prepared to appoint more Conservative peers to the upper chamber.

Police are investigating footage of Lord Sewel allegedly taking cocaine with two prostitutes, which has prompted the former Labour peer to quit the House of Lords.

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The SNP and Liberal Democrats have called for the incident to trigger wider reforms of the institution, plans for which were defeated by Conservative backbenchers during the last parliament.

“I regret the fact that we didn’t achieve House of Lords reform in the last parliament, but it’s quite clear to me that there’s no point trying that route again,” he said.

SNP MP Pete Wishart called for an abolition of the unelected upper chamber.

“The House of Lords has never been held in such contempt by the Scottish people who see it as nothing other than a repository for the cronies and donors of the UK parties.

“With its Lords, Ladies, Baronets and Earls it can only be described as the most absurd and ridiculous legislature anywhere in the world.

“Even though it currently dwarves the elected chamber, David Cameron, seems hell-bent on increasing this bizarre bloated institution even further, stuffing it even more full of Tory placemen and donors,” he said.

Cameron said it was “important the House of Lords in some way reflects the situation in the House of Commons,” which has a Conservative majority compared to the party’s minority in the upper house.

“At the moment it is well away from that. I’m not proposing to get there in one go, but it is important to make sure that the House of Lords more accurately reflects the situation in the House of Commons and that’s been the position of prime ministers for a very, very long time and for very good and fair reasons,” he said.