蜜芽传媒

David Cameron could thank those he wants to reward with a "gong" but not a peerage, says Lord Jones of Birmingham.

The former CBI director general, who later served as a trade and investment minister in Gordon Brown's government, said they "might as well make Larry the Cat one", when speaking about the PM's resignation honours.

The cross-bench peer, better known an Digby Jones, told the World of One that peerages were "about taking part in the future" and peers should not be able to over-rule the House of Commons.

But he defended the decision to give an honour to Shami Chakrabarti, as her knowledge of human rights would allow her to make a "great contribution" in the House of Lords.