BRITAIN:British MPs last night delivered a historic vote in favour of a wholly elected House of Lords, setting themselves up for a confrontation with peers that could lead to the most radical change to the upper house of the British parliament for 96 years.
The Commons voted by 337 to 224 in favour of a 100 per cent elected Lords, the first time MPs have come to terms with the idea that they could co-exist with an elected element in the upper house.
Jack Straw, the leader of the Commons, hailed "a dramatic result in the history of the British parliament", although the vote was merely indicative and not part of a Bill for reform of the Lords. But the hopes of reformers were tempered by the knowledge that some traditionalist MPs voted for 100 per cent elections as a deliberate ploy to sabotage hopes of getting consent from the Lords themselves.
Some opponents of the so-called "hybrid house" expressed themselves delighted with the result. One Labour critic said: "The Lords will look at this and say 'We're all doomed', so they'll throw it out." Tory whips accused their Labour counterparts of cynically encouraging MPs who had voted against an 80 per cent elected element to go on and vote for 100 per cent elected - "because they know it's toxic".
Some MPs claimed the true view of the Commons may be closer to the narrow 305-267 vote in favour of an 80 per cent elected element, the only other positive vote last night as MPs went through a menu of different options for the future shape of the upper chamber.
In an embarrassment to Tony Blair and Mr Straw, the author of last month's white paper on Lords reform, MPs emphatically rejected their proposals for an upper house that was 50 per cent elected and 50 per cent appointed. That vote was the only one the prime minister took part in.
Peers will hold their own vote on Lords reform next Wednesday after a three-day debate. Mr Straw believes the peers are certain to vote for a wholly appointed second chamber.
Much could still depend on what happens after Mr Blair leaves office. If the present chancellor Gordon Brown succeeds him as prime minister, the fate of Lords reform may depend on his commitment to pushing it through before the next election. Last night allies indicated that he was prepared to pursue legislation either side of the next election, but Mr Brown's appetite for a major constitutional clash in his first years as prime minister may well be small.
Mr Straw will begin cross-party talks with the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats on how elections to the Lords should be held.
If legislation were to reflect the Commons vote, it would be the most dramatic change to the Lords since Lloyd George's "people's budget" of 1909 sparked a constitutional crisis leading to the 1911 Parliament Act. - (Guardian service)