Whitewavemark2
Kali2
Surely even Johnson could not even think of doing that!
Want to bet on it??
Ah well, you are probably right, thinking of it
By Elmira Tanatarova For Mailonline
20:30 GMT 06 Nov 2021 , updated 20:45 GMT 06 Nov 2021
* The Tories have been accused of rewarding millionaire donors with peerage
* A new investigation showed 16 of the party's main treasurers were offered a seat
* Former Tory ministers have called the alleged practice a 'scandal in plain sight'
The Conservative Party has been accused of guaranteeing peerages to a group of multi-millionaires who have donated more than £3 million to the party.
Wealthy backers who take on the temporary role of party treasurer appear to be offered a seat in the House of Lords once they have donated the set figure.
All 16 of the Conservatives' main treasurers, excluding the most recent, were offered a seat in the Lords in the past two decades including Peter Cruddas, Lord Spencer, Lord Fraser, Lord Lupton and Lord Farmer.
According to the investigation by The Sunday Times and Open Democracy, six former Tory ministers felt uneasy about the practice, some calling it a 'scandal'.
One ex-party chairman said: 'The truth is the entire political establishment knows this happens and they do nothing about it...The most telling line is once you pay your £3 million, you get your peerage.'
Another former minister called it a 'scandal in plain sight' whilst another alleged that 'a law of omerta' silences anyone from discussions of a link between donations and seats.
Peter Cruddas's peerage was pushed through by Boris Johnson despite the Lords appointments commissions' recommendation.
One of its members told the investigation the decision 'left a bad taste in my mouth'.
The commission advised against the honour because Mr Cruddas resigned as Conservative co-treasurer in 2012 after it was claimed he offered access to then PM and his chancellor in return for donations and it is believed he has been turned down numerous times before.
According to data from The Electoral Commission Mr Cruddas donated a total of £4,238,299.66 to the party and campaigns it's supported going as far back as 2009.
Today ex-Prime Minister John Major became one of the latest to hit out against Johnson in the deepening sleaze-row his party has been embroiled in, the latest being Owen Paterson's scandal.
Speaking of Downing Street refusing to rule out the possibility of recommending Mr Paterson a peerage, Major told BBC Radio 4: 'There have been some extraordinary elevations to the peerage in recent years, quite extraordinary.
'Quite apart from the over-large number of peers that have been put there, I think it would be rather extraordinary if that happens and I’m not at all sure if it would be approved of by the House of Lords or by those who vet peerages.' “
