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British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is facing fresh accusations of cronyism after he appointed a long-time donor to his Conservative party as a life peer, despite concerns from watchdogs and senior UK officials.
On Tuesday, Mr Johnson appointed 16 new peers to the House of Lords, the upper chamber of UK parliament.
Among them was banker Peter Cruddas, who is worth a reported £860 million ($1.14 billion) and is a long-time Conservative donor who has given the party more than £3.5m.
The Appointments Commission advised against appointing Mr Cruddas, known as ‘the City of London’s richest man’.
In a letter to commission chairman Lord Bew, Mr Johnson rejected the concerns raised about the banker.