DEMOCRATS across party divides slammed Rishi Sunak’s “crony ridden” resignation honours list today after Tory ex-ministers Michael Gove and Alister Jack were given seats in the Lords.

Labour peer Pauline Bryan reiterated calls for the upper chamber to be scrapped.

She told the Star: “Anyone who thinks that the House of Lords allows the best experts in their fields to contribute to legislation should look at Rishi Sunak’s list of new peers.

“Michael Gove and Alister Jack are both culpable for the mess we’re in.

“We must abolish the House of Lords and have a new second chamber made up of elected representatives from the nations and regions that acts as an effective check on the ever-increasing centralisation of executive government.”

Calling the list “one last slap in the face” from Mr Sunak, SNP deputy Westminster leader Pete Wishart said: “While Alister Jack and Michael Gove settle into their cushy ‘jobs’ for life, safe and unaccountable to voters, people across Scotland are still suffering the effects of 14 years of Tory rule.

“The unaccountable, undemocratic House of Lords and the crony- ridden honours system which props it up is broken beyond repair and it is clear that it benefits the Labour Party and the Tories far too much for them to have any desire to change it. 

“We are absolutely clear the House of Lords should be scrapped and that Scotland deserves better than Westminster ‘democracy’ that’s rigged with cronyism and elitism.”

Dismissing the Lords as “an archaic and embarrassing relic,” Scottish Greens co-leader Lorna Slater added: “It’s very existence is an affront to democracy.

“It has no legitimacy whatsoever and is already stuffed full of donors, cronies and former politicians.

“It is ridiculous for us to be ruled by people that we have no way to remove.”