A FORMER Sussex MP and Government minister has been confirmed among the nominations to take up a seat in the House of Lords.

Former Bexhill and Battle MP Greg Barker is among 45 politicians and business figures put forward to take up a seat in the upper house confirmed by Downing Street today.

The former energy and climate change minister announced his decision to step down at the 2015 election last July telling The Argus he needed “a fresh challenge” after 13 years serving the constituency.

The Worthing-born politician is among 26 new Conservative peers set to be appointed to the House of Lords which has attracted criticism of “cronyism”.

The appointment will lift the number of lords to more than 800.

Seven public figures nominated for a peerage were prevented from getting a title after failing the vetting process including former Labour and Liberal Democrat MPs and Conservative Party donors.

Only 10 nominees have been blocked in this way in the past 15 years.

Green Party peer Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb, who became a lord in 2013, criticised the move in The Independent.

She said: “The House of Lords is already a virtually unaccountable chamber. They are making it even more despotic by putting people in there who have no real commitment to democracy.”