'I hate agreeing with these people': Boris Johnson says after SNP pressure on peers' pay

Boris Johnson has criticised plans to increase the daily allowance paid to peers in the House of Lords under pressure from the SNP.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson

The daily payment is rising from £300 to £323, with the nationalists questioning why the government is set to add more peers to the unelected second chamber.

The figure is higher than the amount paid to single welfare claimants under the government’s Universal Credit reforms.

At Prime Minister’s Questions, East Renfrewshire MP Kirsten Oswald asked: “The new daily allowance for the unelected and unaccountable peers being stuffed into the House of Lords by the Prime Minister is set to rise to £323.

“The monthly allowance for a single person over 25 on Universal Credit is £317.82. Is that the levelling up the Prime Minister keeps talking about?”

Boris Johnson could be heard asking his front bench: “Why is it changing?” And he sparked outrage on the SNP benches by responding: “I hate agreeing with these people.”

The Prime Minister went on: “I do find that it is odd that the House of Lords has chosen to do that but it is a decision for them.”