The head of an influential commission which vets appointments to the House of Lords says he is becoming "increasingly uncomfortable" - calling on party bosses not to push unsuitable candidates through.
Lord Bew, who chairs the House of Lords Appointments Commission, has called for a meeting with Liz Truss, saying his team is being unfairly blamed for controversial peerages.
He has written to the PM and Labour leader Keir Starmer reminding them of the qualities required for new appointments - including honesty, integrity and openness.
It comes ahead of Boris Johnson's resignation honours being announced, with a number of allies including Nadine Dorries tipped to be included.
Lord Bew's letter follows the award of peerages which caused a huge backlash, including that of Russian-born oligarch Evgeny Lebedev and Tory donor Peter Cruddas - who the commission advised against giving a peerage to.
In a scathing letter Lord Bew said that it is for party leaders to consider if an individual is "in good standing" or if their past conduct might bring the House into disrepute.
Lord Bew wrote: "I am seeking a meeting with the Prime Minister to discuss these matters in more detail as well as a wider discussion about the remit of the Commission."
The commission's job is not to identify candidates, he said, but added: "This distinction is not understood by the public and the Commission is increasingly uncomfortable about the limits of its role in these instances."
He continues: "The Commission would ask that you, as party leaders making nominations for life peerages, continue to bear in mind the long established Principles of Public Life as a benchmark for assessing conduct."
Labour has also fallen foul of the commission in the past, with Jeremy Corbyn's nomination of former Speaker John Bercow overruled due to allegations of bullying.
And former deputy leader Tom Watson is understood to be under consideration, despite having been rejected by the commission in 2020 due to concerns over his role in Operation Midland - a police probe into allegations of child abuse which transpired to be false.
Last month it emerged that the House of Lords could be scrapped under a Labour government - with a massive shake-up being weighed up by party bosses.
Leaked draft documents reveal that a review led by former PM Gordon Brown has recommended assembly of regions and nations set up instead.
The Mirror has long campaigned for the unelected House of Lords to be abolished, and Labour pledged to do so in its 2019 manifesto.
Labour vowed to abolish the Lords in its 2019 manifesto, while Mr Starmer mentioned it in his 2020 leadership bid.
Scottish party leader Anas Sarwar last year said it was "unacceptable" that "unelected representatives" have so much power.
Mr Sarwar told a Westminster audience: “The House of Lords, in its current form, is an institution that has no place in 21st-century politics.
“It is unacceptable, and has been for far too long, to have unelected representatives wielding such power.
“The House of Lords must be abolished and replaced with an institution which better reflects the make-up and the identity of the United Kingdom.”
