Peerages

Life peerages rank only as barons or baronesses, and are created under the Life Peerages Act 1958.

Cooper’s attack came amid the latest round of Tory in-fighting, with engaged in a war of words over peerages.

The former PM, who spent 49 days in office, has reportedly nominated four people for peerages.

He mentioned pensions, he mentioned peerages, he mentioned public sector pay - a whole range of different things.

No party can “make those sorts of commitments” and promise peerages, Ms Cooper said.

An announcement on peerages is due to be made this month.

The Prime Minister has nominated his brother Jo Johnson, his chief strategic adviser Sir Edward Lister and several Tory grandees for peerages, while a suite of Brexiteers are also set for the Lords.

All three men will be given peerages to enable them to join the government.

A number of senior Conservative donors have received honours including knighthoods and peerages.

Alec Douglas-Home resigned from his peerages days after becoming Prime Minister in 1963, and the last Prime Minister before him from the Lords left in 1902 (the Marquess of Salisbury ).

A peerage can be revoked only by a specific Act of Parliament, and then for only the current holder, in the case of hereditary peerages.

A story was running at the time that Dr Chai Patel and others had been recommended for Life peerages after lending the Labour party money.

Both Edward I and Edward II had been limited in their policy towards the nobility, allowing the creation of few new peerages during the sixty years preceding Edward III's reign.

Directly beneath this "landed" nobility (current and former royalty) rank the highest awards, the Peerages.

Famously, Lloyd George was found to have been selling peerages.

Former Archbishops of Canterbury, having reverted to the status of bishop but who are no longer diocesans, are invariably given life peerages and sit as Lords Temporal.

Hereditary peerages are not "honours under the crown" and so cannot normally be withdrawn.

High level awards are often given with the consultation of the other people who have received the award, such as peerages and consulting orders.

Holders of Scottish and Irish peerages were not always permitted to sit in the Lords.

In the 1970s life peerages became the norm for former Prime Ministers, though none has accepted any peerage since Margaret Thatcher in 1992.