The SNP called on Scotland Yard to investigate after it emerged that eight of the Tory Party’s last nine main treasurers were offered peerages when each had donated millions to the Conservatives.
Calling on the Met to launch a “cash for honours” probe, the SNP MP Pete Wishart said: “It is corruption plain and simple. It absolutely stinks.”
The latest sleaze allegation for Boris Johnson ’s government comes in the wake of the Owen Paterson scandal, which has sent the PM’s personal ratings to their lowest-ever level.
Mr Wishart said: “The Tory corruption scandal is growing worse by the day. It is now beyond all doubt that the honours system has been abused.”
Environment Secretary George Eustice yesterday defended the peerages. He said: “They are philanthropists who give huge amounts to charity, who have been very successful in business and on those grounds ought to be considered for the Lords.”
The Open Democracy and Sunday Times investigation found eight out of nine of the Tory party’s main treasurers had been offered peerages in the past decade.
They include City millionaires Andrew Fraser, James Lupton, Michael Farmer, Stanley Fink and Michael Spencer, who are all now in the Lords.
Peter Cruddas, the billionaire whose peerage was pushed through by Mr Johnson against the recommendation of the Lords appointment commission, is also among them.
Sir Mick Davis, a mining tycoon who was Tory treasurer from 2016 to 2019, turned down the offer of a peerage.
There is no suggestion of any wrongdoing by any of the men.
The investigation also revealed that 13 other wealthy Tory benefactors have been ennobled since the Tories came to power in 2010.
The parliamentary watchdog is understood to have blocked six further peerage nominations for Tory donors on grounds of impropriety.
Just two Labour Party donors and five Lib Dems have been given peerages over the same period.
MPs will today hold an emergency debate on the corruption scandals engulfing the Government.
The PM provoked a public outcry last week by attempting to rip up the Commons standards system to spare Tory MP Owen Paterson a 30-day suspension for breaking lobbying rules.
Mr Johnson was forced into a humiliating U-turn that resulted in Mr Paterson’s resignation as an MP.
Labour Shadow Leader of the House Thangam Debbonaire yesterday called on the PM to “consider his position” over the affair and said that Commons leader Jacob Rees-Mogg should quit.
Mr Eustice prompted anger by trying to play down the shambles as a “storm in a teacup”. Tory MPs branded his remarks “unhelpful” and “complete nonsense”.
Tory MP Robert Largan, said: “This was something that they’ve got badly wrong and they need to fix it.”
Former minister Tobias Ellwood said it had been “a dark week for British democracy”.
One the eve of the debate, Keir Starmer urged Mr Johnson to face MPs in person.
He said the PM must “clean out the filthy Augean stable he has created” by finally ruling out any plans to give Mr Paterson a peerage.
Mr Starmer also claimed the PM was trying to undermine Westminster’s sleaze watchdog because of his own four separate run-ins with the standards system.
He said: “I don’t think anybody could with a straight face say this Prime Minister is the man to clean up politics and to have the highest standards in public life because he is in the sewer with his troops.”
Labour is pushing for the Commons standards chief to investigate the refurbishment of Mr Johnson’s No10 flat and his holiday in the Spanish villa of Zac Goldsmith, who Mr Johnson ennobled in 2019.
In the wake of the Paterson scandal, Mr Johnson’s approval ratings plunged to their lowest ever level of minus 20.
The Opinium survey put the Tories just one point ahead of Labour, down four points from the week before.
Scotland Yard was approached for comment on the peerages probe.
