Mr Kinnock, the once fiery leftwinger from South Wales who became Labour leader in 1983 and ran the party for nine years, once suggested that hereditary peers were descendants of “brigands, muggers, bribers and gangsters”.

As recently as the spring of last year he was suggesting he might not take an offer to go to the Upper House if one was made. He said then that the Lords was still not a meaningful chamber even after six years of Labour in power.

A few months later he said he was not sure. “Let’s put it like this: I do not feel magnetised by it.” But last night Mr Kinnock said he had accepted the “kind invitation” to enter the House of Lords for practical political reasons.

He is soon to head the British Council, the body that promotes Britain’s culture and education. Mr Kinnock said that the Upper House was “a good base for campaigning on national issues like education, sustainable transport, industrial change and the ageing society and global concerns, particularly poverty and oppression. It is a forum for putting the continuing case for our country’s effective engagement in the EU.”

Peter Hain, the Welsh Secretary, said of Mr Kinnock: “Neil will be a powerful voice for social justice, freedom and equality. Wales is proud of yet another achievement on top of his past successes.”

Mr Patten, the former Conservative Cabinet minister and Hong Kong Governor, said: “I am honoured to be invited to become a life peer. It will give me the opportunity to contribute to the national debate on issues like higher education, research, Europe and foreign policy.”

It appeared unlikely that either Mr Kinnock or Mr Patten would rejoin their front benches in the Lords, because of their commitments. But both are likely to play a big role in the campaign for Britain to sign up to the European Constitution.

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