PEERS in the House of Lords have come under fire from a former speaker who claims some contribute "absolutely nothing" to parliament.

A BBC documentary 'Meet the Lords' gave a fly-on-the-wall perspective on what goes on inside parliament's second chamber.

High-ranking cross-bench peer Baroness Frances D'Souza claimed that although there were dozens of incredibly dedicated peers, the "sense" of honour had been lost.

The taxpayer carries a heavy burden to support the Lords. More than 800 members can claim a daily allowance of £300, just for turning up.

Baroness D'Souza said: "There is a core of peers who work incredibly hard, who do that work, and there are, sad to say, many, many, many peers who contribute absolutely nothing but who claim the full allowance.

"I can remember one occasion when I was leaving the House quite late and there was a peer – who shall be utterly nameless – who jumped out of a taxi just outside the peers' entrance, left the engine running.

"He ran in, presumably to show that he'd attended, and then ran out again while the taxi was still running.

"I think that we have lost the sense of honour that used to pertain, and that is a great, great shame."

The question of whether the Lords should be reformed has reared its head in the wake of this broadcast.

In addition, the passage of the Brexit bill through the Lords has also raised concerns of the extent of power unelected peers hold.

Prime Minister Theresa May sat inside the Lords yesterday to watch the Lords debate the bill, seen as a move to ensure conservative peers stay in line.

Katie Ghose, chief executive of the Electoral Reform Society, said the programme would fuel calls for a fairly-elected upper house.

She said: "We already knew some peers claim their £300 without speaking or voting, but to hear this from the former lord speaker herself is astonishing and shows just how severe this problem really is. Baroness D'Souza has exposed a truly scandalous situation."

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