daily allowance, exposing a "farcical" system at the House of Lords. A series of complaints seen by the Record show deep unhappiness at being paid a reduced rate of £162 for speaking in debates.
One warned: "The present system is becoming farcical as Members queue up to make short interventions because as one put it to me, 'if you don't speak you don't eat'."The financial reward for taking part in business was halved following a decision in May.
And while some peers freely accept the system is open to abuse, others claimed they can’t get anything during the pandemic.A Lords spokesman insisted the chamber is effective and the financial arrangements are temporary.