Coalition strained by retreat over Lords reforms

The retreat saved David Cameron from the coalition’s first Commons defeat in a whipped vote, but opened the prospect of opponents of change blocking the legislation by dragging out the debate until time runs out.

The move also threatens to place immense strain on the coalition, as Lords reform is the a key priority of the Liberal Democrats following their defeat on AV voting for Westminster elections last year.

One senior Tory backbencher later predicted that the decision could lead to the collapse of the coalition and bring forward the date of the next election.

Leader of the Commons Sir George Young blamed Labour for siding with Tory rebels and said that an alternative timetable will be put forward in the autumn.

The announcement came just hours after Prime Minister David Cameron made a last-ditch appeal to Labour leader Ed Miliband to rethink his plans to vote with the rebels.

Mr Cameron said: “I think it is time that we reformed the House of Lords. It has got up to 900 people, there are still people there who are there because their ancestors were given a peerage decades ago. It is ripe for reform.”

About 70 Conservative MPs had signed a letter opposing the changes, and more were expected to vote against the timetabling motion.

Mr Miliband said Labour would vote in favour of the Government’s proposals in the second reading vote last night, but he would order his MPs to vote against the timetable motion, because the Government had not allowed sufficient time for debate on the constitutional issues.