Four Tory MPs set to be given peerages by Boris Johnson will not immediately resign their Commons seats so they can avoid triggering tricky by-elections.
The former prime minister wants to ennoble Nadine Dorries, Alister Jack, Alok Sharma and Nigel Adams in his resignation honours list.
But in a major break with tradition, they plan to remain as MPs until the next general election, which may be two years away.
That would avoid the need for by-elections in their four seats at a time when Labour are well ahead of the Conservatives in the polls.
However, it could trigger a constitutional row, with King Charles forced to give his blessing to the unprecedented arrangement.
A spokesperson for Alister Jack, who is Scottish secretary, insisted he remained “absolutely committed to representing his constituents and working with the prime minister to continue to deliver for people in Scotland”.
A source close to Jack, who has a majority of just 1,805 in his Dumfries and Galloway constituency, said there was “no question” of a by-election being held in the seat.
According to The Times, Johnson also plans to give peerages to his former chief of staff Dan Rosenfield, and his deputy, Ben Gascoigne.
Meanwhile advisers Ross Kempsell, 30, and 28-year-old Charlotte Owen are also set to be made lifetime peers.
Work and pensions secretary Mel Stride this morning admitted that the House of Lords was too big and in need of reform.
He told Times Radio: “The House of Commons probably as a body generally would not be happy with the size of the House of Lords, the fact that… what is effectively an undemocratic body perhaps has a role in certain areas that it does.
“I think there are few in the House of Commons who wouldn’t say that there should be change.”
Stride added: “If your question is does the… House of Lords need reform? I think absolutely.
“Not least to the point you’re making: its size, which has now grown to, I think, over 800 members, which is larger than the Chinese Communist Party’s central committee.
“I do think there is scope for change, but it is one of those things that has been very difficult to get political consensus on.”