FURIOUS pro-democracy campaigners slammed Tory attempts yesterday to stuff the House of Lords with party stooges.

But David Cameron ignored accusations of cronyism and announced a string of peerages for Tory advisers and donors.

The government has faced a number of humiliating defeats in the Lords in recent years and campaigners have claimed that this was an attempt to stack the odds in the Tories’ favour and allow them to force through controversial legislation.

Among the new peers announced by the Prime Minister were a number of former ministers who served under him including ex-health secretary Andrew Lansley, Sir George Young, David Willetts and William Hague.

Tory grandee Douglas Hogg, who came under fire during the expenses scandal after it emerged he had filed a claim for cleaning the moat at his country home, is also on the list.

Former Number 10 policy director James O’Shaughnessy, Iain Duncan Smith’s ex-special adviser Philippa Stroud and Tory Party vice-chairman Kate Rock were also given peerages.

Tory donor and former vice-treasurer James Lupton was also elevated.However, according to the Daily Telegraph an “unprecedented” seven nominations were vetoed by Whitehall’s appointments committee as they were deemed unsuitable.

Mr Cameron has ruled out reviving coalition proposals to reform the House of Lords, claiming that he wants to “make sure the House of Lords more accurately reflects the situation in the House of Commons.”

But pro-democracy pressure group Republic chief executive Graham Smith told the Star that the Lords was “corrupt and unfit for purpose” and should be scrapped in favour of a totally elected upper house.

“No-one should be there because they have given money to a party, knows the party leader or has worked for the party leader,” he said.

All the major parties, including those who professed to want to see the Lords abolished and yet appointed members to the upper house, shared responsibility for the current state of affairs, he said.

“They should hang their heads in shame.”

While peers draw no salary, members are entitled to a tax-free allowance of £300 for every sitting day. It is estimated that every 50 extra peers cost the public purse £1.3 million annually.