The chair of Liberal Democrat Friends of Israel (LDFI) and the former chief executive of the Chief Rabbi's Office are amongst a dozen Jewish politicians, businessmen and charity workers to be enobled.

The additions to the House of Lords were among 54 political peers chosen by the main parties.

● Conservative

Long-standing party supporters Stanley Fink and Andrew Feldman head the Conservative appointees.

Mr Fink, a joint party treasurer, is a hedge fund manager who was formerly chief executive of the MAN Group and has donated £1.9 million to the Tories since 2003.

The chair of Liberal Democrat Friends of Israel (LDFI) and the former chief executive of the Chief Rabbi’s Office are among the more than 50 new members of the House of Lords.

Monroe Palmer, a Liberal Democrat councillor, will be joined as a peer by two Jewish former MPs, Susan Kramer and Oona King.

A Labour MP who claimed his Liberal Democrat opponent was involved with Islamic extremists is facing a by-election after a judge found that he knowingly made false accusations.

During the 2010 campaign, shadow immigration minister Phil Woolas, fighting for reelection to his Oldham East seat, accused his opponent of wooing extremist Muslims.

Mr Woolas won the seat with 103 more votes than Elwyn Watkins for the Liberal Democrats.

But a special election court has now ruled that the MP breached election regulations by making false claims and there must now be another poll.