LONDON, Nov. 8 (UPI) -- A list of 28 nominees to Britain's House of Lords has come under criticism for elevating those who made significant cash contributions to political parties.
While the peerage list has not been published, a copy was obtained by The Times of London, which noted many of the candidates were politically generous. They include two Labor nominees, David Garrard and Gulam Noon, each of whom made donations of more than $350,000 to the Labor Party.
Among Conservative Party nominees are Robert Edmiston, who gave the party $435,000 last year, and the party treasurer, Jonathan Marland, who gives $85,000 a year and leads its fundraising operation.
The list of new peers was attacked by Martin Bell, the former independent member of Parliament. He told the newspaper the system for appointing peers was more contaminated now than it has been in 80 years.
"This brings politics into disrepute," he said. "We have a huge problem of public trust in public life ... How can people trust their politicians?"
