A British peer who was in charge of lawmakers’ ethics quit the House of Lords on Tuesday after allegedly snorting cocaine off a prostitute’s breasts, fuelling calls for reform of the unelected upper chamber.
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His move ends the prospect of investigation by the Lords’ sleaze watchdog, but Lord Sewel faces a criminal prosecution after Metropolitan Police officers with a sniffer dog raided the London flat where he was reported to have taken cocaine, a class A drug.
While reforming the House of Lords is not a priority for Cameron’s centre-right government, the case has sparked calls for the chamber – the world’s largest legislative assembly outside China – to be slimmed down.
In the video footage, Sewel was additionally pictured making disparaging remarks about British Prime Minister David Cameron, London Mayor Boris Johnson, former prime minister Tony Blair and a lot of different politicians.
Sewel, who had become under increasing pressure to resign following the revelations, apologised for the “pain and embarrassment” he had caused and said that he hoped his exit would “help repair” the damage to the reputation of the Upper House. “Finally, I want to apologise for the pain and embarrassment I have caused”.
Less than two weeks ago, Sewel had written an article boasting how the Lords had taken steps to protect its image, saying only a small number broke the rules and that most understood personal honour came first.
A report by the Guardian suggested Mr Cameron intended to press ahead with plans to appoint more Conservative peers to the House of Lords.
North East peers argue the Lords carries out important work scrutinising Government legislation but its membership – which runs to 783 now – should be trimmed back.
The Daily Mirror, The Sun’s main tabloid rival, launched a campaign on Tuesday to get rid of all unelected peers.
Meanwhile, The Times said the House of Lords was “bloated” and its numbers should be reduced.
“The current House of Lords is beyond reform and it must now be cleared out and reconstituted on firm democratic principles”.
Leader of the House of Lords Baroness Tina Stowell acknowledged the importance of public perceptions of the chamber as she welcomed Sewel’s resignation.
In his resignation letter, Sewel said the question of whether he had breached the code of conduct for peers was “essentially technical”, but there were “bigger questions” of whether his behavior was compatible with membership of the House and whether it would undermine public confidence in the institution if he remained.
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Previously, only the monarch could eject them.
