Cook: Labour breaking promise

Robin Cook took a highly unusual public swipe at Tony Blair over reform of the Lords yesterday when he backed warnings that an all-appointed chamber would breach Labour's manifesto promises.

Mr Cook, who as Leader of the Commons is responsible for driving forward the modernisation of Parliament, defied Mr Blair, flatly rejecting the Prime Minister's decision to rule out elections for the House of Lords.

Mr Blair angered pro- reform Labour backbenchers on Wednesday when he declared that an elected Lords would be a "rival chamber" to the Commons, sparking claims that he had dropped Labour's manifesto pledge for a "more democratic" second chamber.

But yesterday Mr Cook laid bare cabinet splits on the issue, telling MPs: "As our manifesto correctly identified, to be legitimate in the modern era it needs to be democratic and to be democratic some at least of them need to be elected."

In a gibe at the Prime Minister before next week's vote on Lords reform, Mr Cook told MPs: "My understanding is that the Prime Minister will not be able to join us on Tuesday. This is no doubt a matter of as great disappointment to the Opposition as it is to myself."

He said: "My own view is that what went wrong with the last White Paper was that the figure of 20 per cent elected did not command public confidence. Nor, as far as I could see, was it going to command a majority in the House of Commons.

"It is my own personal, very humble opinion, that by removing a 20 per cent elected element and substituting zero, we will not restore the public confidence that was missing the first time round."

Downing Street said Mr Cook was entitled to express his view on a matter subject to a free vote. But his comments will raise the temperature around Tuesday's debate on Lords reform. Many reformist MPs are furious at Mr Blair's stand, arguing that he is too close to his former mentor Lord Irvine of Lairg, the Lord Chancellor, who opposes any compromise move to a partly elected second chamber.

Mr Cook said: "We want a second chamber that is a partner to this place in restoring respect for Parliament and making sure that we can command the nation's attention when we speak. To have a partner who can assist us in that task of restoring the standing of Parliament we need a second chamber that is legitimate."

Eric Forth, shadow Leader of the House, taunted Mr Cook over the issue in the Commons. He said: "I want to hear the Prime Minister explaining how his manifesto commitment to a democratic upper house can be fulfilled by his obvious desire for an appointed upper house. Who is more true to the manifesto: the Prime Minister or you?"

The former Tory cabinet minister Douglas Hogg said: "Many of us do wish to express our support for a wholly elected House. We do want to express our very deep disappointment of the Prime Minister's betrayal of his own manifesto commitment.

"The Lord Chancellor has never been elected to any office and owes his present position in Parliament to this close relationship with the Prime Minister," he said.

For the Liberal Democrats, Paul Tyler urged the Leader of the House to dissociate himself from the way in which the Lord Chancellor had referred to the idea of elected peers with "such disdain, even with contempt".