Police have been asked to investigate “cash for peerage” appointments made by Boris Johnson and his predecessors.
The Scottish National Party’s Commons leader Pete Wishart has written to the Metropolitan Police to lodge a complaint over accusations the Conservative Party handed out Lords appointments to top donors who gave more than £3 million.
He asked the force to launch a police probe into the Prime Minister, other recent Tory PMs and Conservative Party officials.
In a letter to Metropolitan Police Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick, the MP said he wished to highlight “potential criminal misconduct regarding the procurement of honours and membership of the House of Lords”.
In his letter, Mr Wishart added: “In total, 22 of the Conservative Party’s biggest financial contributors have been made members of the House of Lords in the past 11 years.
“Together they have donated some £54 million to the Tories. I believe that it is only right to investigate whether these donations were, in fact, rewarded with honours.”
Speaking in the Commons, he said the accusations represented “cash for honours 2.0” and said the “price to get into the House of Lords has gone up from £1 million from New Labour to £3m from the Conservatives”.
He added: “It now seems that nearly all the past treasures of the Conservative Party of later years are in that place, wearing their ermine, taking a part in the legislative decisions of this country.
“The only characteristic they seem to have, the only defining feature that seems to get them a place in that House, is the fact they’re able to give several million pounds to this Government.”
He has asked the Met to investigate the recent appointments under Honours (Prevention of Abuses) Act 1925 which states that anyone offering money on the understanding it will help them to be given a title is acting in breach of the law.
“I have now asked the Metropolitan Police to investigate the activities of the Conservative Party and the awarding of places in the House of Lords,” he said.
The complaint has been acknowledged by the force, which has promised a quick response.
Reports over the weekend revealed peers had been appointed after offering more than £3 million to the party.
A joint investigation by The Sunday Times and Open Democracy said 15 of the last 16 Tory Party treasurers were offered a peerage after making sizable donations.
The Conservative Party has denied any link between donations and nominations to the House of Lords.
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