Hereditary peerage is backed by Hague

A STRONG defence of the hereditary peerage was delivered last night by William Hague, Conservative leader.

Following reports that Tory resolve was weakening in the face of the Government's determination to abolish the voting rights of hereditary peers in the Lords, he attacked the Labour plans in a speech to the Centre for Policy Studies, in London.

"The Government is now embarking on what is potentially the most damaging step of all - removing the main independent element in the House of Lords by excluding the hereditary peers," he said.

"Mr Blair's justification is his dislike of the hereditary principle, although he sees no contradiction in also parading himself as the protector of the monarchy.

"Labour's plans could lead to a House almost entirely composed of nominated peers. This would be a huge and dangerous extension of prime ministerial power. It would be wholly unacceptable to the Conservative Party."

Nevertheless, Mr Hague accepted that the balance of power had changed in society, and the requirement to have a House representing the interests of property and land had "diminished". Because of that, the Conservative Party was "open to suggestions about how membership of the Lords might be changed, too, and whether the hereditary principle is the right one to employ when choosing members for the House".

Mr Hague's speech, entitled "Change and Tradition: Thinking Creatively about the Constitution", was based on the premise that once Labour's changes had taken place, it would not be possible to turn the clock back.

But the Tories would need to have their own programme of constitutional reform, to correct "the dangerous imbalances and tensions which Labour's constitutional reforms will unleash.

"We must seek the construct a set of constitutional relationships which will preserve the key, overarching principles of our existing constitution: limited government, the rule of law, the unity of the kingdom and, above all, democratic accountability," Mr Hague said.

He would be open to radical suggestions, but he said the Tories might have to think of creating an English parliament, as a response to devolution of power to Scotland and Wales, and Parliament might have to become accountable for the appointment of judges, if the judiciary was to be politicised by human rights legislation.

As for referendums, Mr Hague warned that they could amount to little more than "cosmetic democracy". He criticised proportional representation as "a profoundly undemocratic measure masquerading under the banner of democracy" - which he would "have no truck with".

Mr Hague, who also said that the ability of Parliament to hold the executive to account needed to be strengthened, urged his party to work with him to provide answers to the constitutional legacy that would be left by Labour.