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Theresa May has been accused of “cowering in the shade of the Royal Wedding” to sneak more Tories into the Lords.

The PM is expected to appoint 10 more Conservative peers while the news is dominated by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s nuptials.

Most are set to be loyal to Mrs May on Brexit after a series of humiliating EU vote defeats in the Lords.

Alexandra Runswick, director of Unlock Democracy, said: “This move is hypocritical, opportunistic, and weak. The Government is treating the public like idiots.

“Fresh from a defeat in the House of Lords on their flagship [Brexit] legislation, Theresa May is cowering in the shade of the Royal Wedding as she packs the House of Lords with cronies and failed MPs.

(Image: REUTERS)

(Image: AFP)

“It was barely a fortnight ago that Conservative MPs were calling for the upper chamber to be abolished altogether. Well, they’ve certainly changed their tune.”

A source close to the Cabinet Office’s Honours Committee said today: “This has been on and off, on and off for months, but they’re likely to do it this weekend.

“They believe the Royal Wedding will be a good time to bury bad news.”

The announcement could come as soon as Friday with former minister Sir Eric Pickles and ex-Social Security Secretary Peter Lilley among the Tories to take ermine.

It is likely that about 10 new Conservative peers will be created, along with three Labour and one for the Democratic Unionist Party, which props up the Government.

Other Conservative grandees tipped for ermine include ex-MPs Sir Edward Garnier, Julian Brazier and Andrew Tyrie.

All either quit the Commons or lost their seats at last June’s general election.

(Image: Daily Mirror)

(Image: PA Archive)

Labour peers are expected to include seasoned campaigner Martha Osamor, mother of Shadow International Development Secretary Kate Osamor.

Labour’s former general secretary Iain McNicol is also tipped for the Lords.

The Mirror understands the DUP will be handed one peerage, expected to go to former MP William McCrea.

Peers can trouser £300 a day just for turning up. There are about 800, making it the second biggest parliamentary chamber in the world after China’s National People’s Congress.

Increasing the size of the Lords will unleash fresh criticism of the PM. She has called on Labour and the Lib Dems to encourage more of their peers to retire to slash the size of the Lords.

Mrs May said the Tories had a better record of “embracing retirement at the appropriate time”.

(Image: Getty Images)

(Image: Daily Mirror)

She also vowed to end the “automatic entitlement” to a peerage for holders of high office.

But the Prime Minister is understood to have grown frustrated with a series of embarrassing Lords defeat over Brexit.

The Government suffered its 15th loss over its flagship EU (Withdrawal) Bill at peers’ hands this week.

The un-elected Lords also forced MPs to vote twice in a week on a fresh inquiry into press standards, dubbed Leveson II.

Downing Street urged the Second Chamber to respect the will of the elected House.