The newly appointed Lord criticised the system as ‘seedy lists of party apparatchiks appointed by power-hungry party leaders’.

Zac Goldsmith's tweet on 'seedy' peerage system comes back to haunt him

There had been speculation as to how the role of environment minister would be filled after Goldsmith lost his seat, but he's kept his job.

Ex-Tory MP Goldsmith retains environment minister role as he's made life peer

Zac Goldsmith hopes to be reinstalled as Tory MP for Richmond Park - months after he quit the party and forced an unsuccessful by-election.

Sarah Olney has ousted the former Tory MP in a by-election sparked by his resignation over the Heathrow Airport expansion.

Christian Wolmar has been chosen to fight against Zac Goldsmith in the by-election in Richmond Park.

Tory MPs are taking lumps out of each other on Heathrow, grammar schools and - above all - the true meaning of Brexit.

Environmentalist Goldsmith called the move "catastrophic" - and announced he will now stand as an independent in protest.