Blair unveils plan to clip Lords' wings

Tony Blair will curb the powers of the House of Lords to delay and block legislation if Labour wins a third term in the general election expected next May.

Tony Blair will curb the powers of the House of Lords to delay and block legislation if Labour wins a third term in the general election expected next May.

A House of Lords (Reform) Bill to be introduced after the election would remove the 92 remaining hereditary peers from the second chamber. In a new development, it would also clip the wings of the Lords by limiting its traditional power to delay proposed laws supported by the House of Commons.

In a controversial move, the Labour blueprint would extend the use of the Parliament Act, which allows the Commons to override the Lords. It would apply for the first time to legislation introduced in the Lords as well as the Commons, allowing it to be used for all government bills.

The Act has been used only six times since it was introduced in 1911 but the Government is expected to use it to force through a ban on hunting with dogs if the Lords reject the Hunting Bill next month.

Mr Blair and his ministers are deeply frustrated by what they call the blocking tactics used by the Tories and Liberal Democrats, who have a total of 273 peers to Labour's 200.

The party's election manifesto is expected to endorse a blueprint for reform drawn up by the Labour peers, which has been given the green light by Downing Street. As well as reforming the Parliament Act, the group says the proposed Bill should codify the conventions under which the Lords do not normally vote against legislation promised in the governing party's manifesto when it reaches its key stages in the second chamber. They also want to fix a "reasonable time limit" for all legislation to complete its passage through the Lords.

The peers balance their package of reforms with proposals for a "reconciliation" process to resolve differences between the Commons and Lords, allowing peers to use their delaying powers on secondary legislation and paying opposition frontbenchers.

While the Tories and Liberal Democrats will welcome some of these sweetners, they will oppose the plans to cut the Lords' blocking powers, arguing the moves would strengthen the Government and weaken Parliament.

Ministers have failed to resolve the crucial question of whether some or all peers should be elected. Labour's annual conference will vote on this issue in Brighton next week. One option gaining support is for peers to be elected at the same time as the general election in proportion to the votes cast for the parties.

At a meeting of Labour's national executive committee yesterday, which discussed the conference, Mr Blair defended the Government record on jobs, public services and overseas aid but warned the party must project a forward-looking agenda. "No party has been elected purely on its record," he said.

Mr Blair said next week's conference was an important opportunity to set out a "strong, radical programme for the future". He reiterated his support for a package of workplace rights negotiated with the trade unions, which Labour leaders hope will persuade the unions not to rock the boat at the party's pre-election conference.