MP attacks people's peers 'pantomime'

The peers will take their seats after the election

Fifteen so-called "people's peers" have been chosen in the first exercise of its kind from more than 3,000 aspiring applicants for the House of Lords.

Sir Paul Condon, the former Metropolitan Police commissioner, and the Commission for Racial Equality's ex-chairman Sir Herman Ouseley are among the new peers, who include four appointees from the ethnic minorities and four women.

The People's Peers

Victor Adebowale, chief executive of Centre Point

Richard Best, director of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation

Amir Bhatia, co-founder of the Ethnic Minority Foundation

Sir John Browne, group chief executive of BP Amoco plc

Professor Michael Chan, chairman of the Chinese in Britain Forum

Sir Paul Condon, former Metropolitan Police Commissioner

Professor Ilora Finlay, world expert in palliative medicine

Professor Susan Greenfield, prominent scientist

Sir David Hannay, former diplomat

Valerie Howarth, chief executive of Childline

Lady Elspeth Howe, former chairman of the Broadcasting Standards Commission

Sir Robert May, former government chief scientific adviser

Sir Claus Moser, leading academic

Sir Herman Ouseley, former chairman of the Commission for Racial Equality

Sir Stewart Sutherland, vice-chancellor of Edinburgh University

In spite of earlier expectations that the list would include ordinary members of the public, the final fifteen are all well-known in public life - seven have knighthoods, three are professors and two have OBEs.

Labour MP Gordon Prentice branded the list as a "joke" because it failed to include what he called "ordinary people".

Lord Stevenson, chairman of the appointments commission, rejected suggestions that the list only included establishment figures and no retired head teachers, bus drivers or hairdressers.

He told reporters: "If you actually go through the list of names, there are some names that are perfectly obvious names.

"There are a number of names that it is all very well to say they are establishment but I do not think many people here or reading a newspaper will ever have heard of them."

'Real independence'

He added: "These people are people with real knowledge, real authority and a real independence to bring to bear."

But Labour backbencher Mr Prentice told BBC News Online: "Looking at the list, the way to get into the reformed House of Lords is to be a knight of the shires, a dame or a professor.

"The whole thing is ludicrous and I hope it reignites the debate about what kind of second chamber we have because we don't need this kind of pantomime."

John Edmonds, general secretary of the GMB union, said the Lords must "now be quaffing their champagne in the last chance saloon".

"This response proves that while the membership list may have been reduced, the club remains as big as ever," he added.

Bringing experience

Former Conservative foreign secretary Lord Hurd, a member of the commission, said: "These are people who are independent and they are bringing their experience to the House of Lords.

He said the new peers would give a "powerful boost" to the independent element in the House of Lords.

Lord Hurd said the commission had never used the term "people's peers".

"It has been wished upon us," he said.

More than 3,000 people applied to become peers when the posts were advertised earlier this year.

Lord Stevenson refused to say how many nominees they had interviewed.

Condon: One of the new life peers

Fifteen per cent of the applications came from ethnic minorities, 19% from women, 61% from people under 60 and 98% from British citizens.

At present there are just 20 ethnic minority peers in the 679-strong House of Lords and only 109 women.

Lord Stevenson said the "open" application process had attracted more people from under-represented backgrounds.

'Merit only'

He added: "There has been no positive discrimination.

"We have been very fortunate - we have had some quite outstanding applications. Our decisions have been taken entirely on merit."

The government threw out more than 600 hereditary peers in November 1999 but left a rump of 92 with inherited titles.

Addditional new peer nominated by Prime Minister

General Sir Charles Guthrie, former Defence Chief of Staff

A Royal Commission chaired by Lord Wakeham proposed further reform, including having elected peers.

But there is speculation detailed proposals for further reform will not appear in Labour's manifesto for the upcoming general election.

The people's peers are the first members of the Lords to be appointed by the commission.

All previous appointees were decided by the prime minister.

However, the commission's powers to appoint are limited and only relate to non-party political peers.

But it will vet all future nominations to the Lords.

In a separate development, Downing Street announced that the former Chief of Defence Staff General Sir Charles Guthrie, who retired earlier this year, was to be made a life peer on the direct recommendation of Tony Blair.