'Too many Londoners in House of Lords'

Londoners have too much influence in the House of Lords, it was claimed today.

Tony Blair is facing claims he has created a "House of Londoners" by packing the second chamber with people from the capital.

Nearly half of the 313 nonjudicial life peers appointed since 1997 lived in London at the time they were ennobled.

People living in the North-East have been 11 times less likely to be selected to become peers and those in the East Midlands 31 times less likely.

In a letter to the Prime Minister today, Liberal Democrat peer Matthew Oakeshott, who sits on the joint committee on House of Lords reform, writes: "You are creating not so much a House of Lords as a House of Londoners."

The Government is committed to further reforms in the Lords. There are bitter divisions over whether peers should be elected by voters or appointed by political parties.

Downing Street is worried that an elected chamber would have a mandate to cause more trouble than it does now.

But Lord Oakeshott said: "Only democratic elections to Parliament's second chamber can end this injustice to most of our nations and regions."