MPs demanding an elected House of Commons were given ammunition this afternoon when the Government published figures detailing the regional breakdown of where peers appointed in the past two years lived.

By Graham Dines

MPs demanding an elected House of Commons were given ammunition this afternoon when the Government published figures detailing the regional breakdown of where peers appointed in the past two years lived.

Of a total 75 peers appointed since March 2005, 26 were from London and seven from the south east making 33 from these areas Five came from the East of England, eight from the south west, nine from Scotland and five from Northern Ireland. Two other new lords were judicial appointments and their addresses withheld.

However, only two peers each from Wales, the north west, the east midlands and west midlands were elevated.

Welsh Labour MP Chris Bryant (Rhondda), who is demanding that the upper house is elected by the people under proportional representation, said the figures showed how “disproportionate” the system was. “Parliament should be properly represented from the whole of the UK,” said Mr Bryant.

“If we had elections by region we would have a much more representative selection of people from the whole of the UK.”