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The House of Lords was branded an "embarrassment" as a poll revealed today that 76% of the public think it's "out of tune with the will of the British people”.

It came as SNP MP Pete Wishart described the House of Lords as the "circus down the corridor, embarrassing this nation and mocking any notion of democracy".

An overwhelming 73% felt the Lords had become too big, with its 800 peers making it the second biggest parliamentary chamber after China’s National People’s Congress.

The scathing judgement on the bloated Upper Chamber comes after Theresa May used the cover of the Royal Wedding to cloak another nine cronies in ermine, along with three Labour peers and for the DUP.

No 10 insisted Mrs May had shown “restraint” in appointing new peers.

But a Comres survey for the Daily Mail revealed seven in 10 voters believe there should be fewer peers.

(Image: AFP)

Thirty-seven per cent wanted all peers to be elected, with 24% saying the Lords should simply be scrapped and not replaced.

And 79% said there were too many cronies or failed or retired politicians packing the Upper House.

Speaking at Prime Minister’S Questions, SNP Commons spokesman Pete Wishart told MPs: “As the nation’s attention was on the Royal Wedding, the Prime Minister was busy stuffing the House of Lords with 13 new members - apparently we need more of the ‘right’ type of legislator.

“How many more is she going to appoint and when will enough be enough?”

Later, he linked the decision to a succession of Government defeats in the Upper Chamber.

He said: “Creating more peers is cynical even for this Tory government and it is a real affront to democracy.

(Image: Parliament TV)

“The Tories are not even trying to disguise this - it is a complete fix.

“There will now be over 800 – making it substantially larger than the House of Commons.

“Every time the Tories face choppy waters over losing votes, they just stuff the place with more peers.

“It is ludicrous that we have yet more Lords - and it is no surprise that there is growing anger about the role and power of these unelected cronies.”

(Image: Parliament TV)

Jeremy Corbyn’s spokesman said Labour wanted the Lords abolished and replaced with an elected Chamber.

He added: “It is absurd that we still have this undemocratic anachronism in the 21st Century.

“When Labour is elected we will carry through that pledge.”

Meanwhile, figures show that of more than 200 candidates eligible to stand in an upcoming hereditary by-election to the Lords, only one is a woman.

Just 31 peers are able to vote in the poll, which will cost taxpayers more than £1,140 to stage.

The latest vacancy was created following the retirement of Earl Baldwin of Bewdley.

The figures published by the Lords authorities will fuel calls to scrap hereditary peer by-elections, which have been branded “ludicrous and indefensible” by critics.