ADDING 26 new peers to the House of Lords will “baffle” the public, democratic reform campaigners warned the government after it announced a list of new appointments.

London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan will be given a peerage as part of the move, which will see the Lords balloon to be the “second largest legislative chamber in the world,” the Electoral Reform Society (ERS) said after the announcement on Thursday.

ERS chief executive Darren Hughes demanded incoming PM Andy Burnham “make good on the promise of reform and turn the Lords into a smaller, democratic chamber that is more representative of and accountable to the people of this country.”

“Labour’s own manifesto said two years ago that ‘the second chamber of Parliament has become too big’ and that ‘reform is long over-due and essential’,” he added.

“So the sight of yet more peerages being handed out to donors, allies and supporters today will be a baffling one to the public.

“Especially when at well over 700 members the Lords is already the second largest legislative chamber in the world after China’s National People’s Congress,” Mr Hughes said.

Mr Burnham, who will take over as PM on Monday, has long argued for the Lords to be reformed and said last month that “half of our national legislature being unelected” is “quite scandalous.”

The Lords Speaker pushed back against any talk of plans previously backed by Mr Burnham to turn the chamber into an elected senate of regions and nations.

It was reported the Makerfield MP is considering appointing metro mayors to red benches.

Lord Forsyth of Drumlean warned that talk about “rewiring our constitutional arrangements” should be approached with caution as he defended the value of peers’ work.