Crossbencher: Lord Tyrie.

This is poetic justice.

Theresa May couldn’t count on the Lords to vote her way on the EU Withdrawal Bill, so she did what Tories always do – flooded the Upper House with new peers.

The decision prompted outrage because it represents a subversion of the purpose of the House of Lords.

It is a revising chamber, where the merits of a Bill should be discussed seriously and – if peers decide changes should be made – recommendations should be brought back to the Commons. Filling it with “yes”-people who will vote through potentially disastrous changes is a betrayal of the Lords’ purpose.

It also, insultingly, adds more than a million pounds a year to the cost of Parliament at a time when the rest of us are suffering with depressed wages and increases in the cost of living.

But Mrs May miscalculated.

One of her new peers, Lord Tyrie, said he was not able to accept the Tory whip because it would open him to accusations that he is not impartial, and this would prejudice his chairmanship of the competition watchdog.

So it seems at least one Conservative has a sense of honour and duty that outweighs petty party loyalties.

For us, the important point is that Mrs May was relying on the opposite.

Her decision showed that she does not care about service to the United Kingdom; she thinks loyalty to her is far more important. And that endangers us all.

Theresa May has been left red faced after a former Tory MP, who she appointed to the House of Lords, has revealed he will be sitting as a crossbencher in the upper chamber.

Lord Tyrie, who lost his seat in 2017, is a former chairman of the Treasury select committee.

But despite serving as a Tory MP for a decade, he will not be taking the Conservative whip when he joins the House of Lords.

This will be a particular blow to the Prime Minister who has recently suffered 15 defeats on Brexit in the Lords.

Theresa May triggered fury when she announced a fresh batch of Conservative cronies for the Upper Chamber under cover of the Royal Wedding.

In theory she created nine new Tory peers, three new Labour Lords and gave the DUP one.

But with Tyries admission that reduces the Tories’ haul to eight.

The Electoral Reform Society estimates the extra Lords and Ladies could add another £1,079,000 per year to the total bill, with peers able to trouser £305 a day just for turning up.

Lord Tyrie, who has been appointed head of Britain’s competition watchdog, faced accusations of impartiality if he took up his seat on the Tory benches.

Source: Theresa May left red faced after Tory peer quits after just four days in the role – Mirror Online

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