Peer who never spoke in Lords last year claims £50,000 expenses

Exclusive: Lord Brookman among dozens not to speak, raising fresh questions about the chamber

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A Labour peer claimed almost 50,000 in attendance and travel expenses covering every single day the House of Lords was sitting last year, despite never speaking or asking any written questions, a Guardian investigation reveals.

The former trade union general secretary David Brookman was among dozens of other lords and baronesses who never took part in a single debate, while almost a third of the 800 peers barely participated in parliamentary business over a 12-month period despite costing almost 3.2m in allowances.