UK Peerages, patronage and corruption

A major study by Oxford academics claims it has proven a strong relationship between donations to political parties and nominations for peerages. The report found that 92 people who were nominated for a peerage had donated a collective £33.83m to parties. It argues the relationship is "significant" and "a debate... about whether we are comfortable with that needs to be had.": 

From "the Week" daily briefing.

See Debretts or Burkes for the genealogy and heraldry of the peerage.

According to Wikipedia - The peerage is a legal system of largely hereditary titles in the United Kingdom, which is constituted by the ranks of British nobility and is part of the British honours system. The term is used both collectively to refer to the entire body of noble titles (or a subdivision thereof), and individually to refer to a specific title (and generally has an initial capital in the former case and not the latter). The holder of a peerage is termed a peer.