More than 70 Tory MPs, including a former chief whip, today defied David Cameron by publicly urging a mass revolt against House of Lords reforms.
In a major show of force, they signed a letter sent to the desks of every Conservative MP this morning. A second letter is being prepared for a national newspaper ahead of voting tomorrow evening.
The rebels who went public include James Arbuthnot, who was Tory chief whip under William Hague, four select committee chairmen, former foreign secretary Sir Malcom Rifkind, former shadow chancellor Peter Lilley and a range of backbenchers, the Evening Standard learned.
“We come from all sides of the Conservative Party and are writing as reformers to express our concerns about the current proposals for an elected House of Lords,” they wrote.
The number of signatures means that Nick Clegg’s blueprint for Lords reform could be in trouble in a string of votes starting tomorrow. If Labour MPs turn out in full, then a Government motion to curtail debate and ensure the Bill gets through is likely to be defeated.
The Deputy Prime Minister was opening the debate this afternoon and arguing that his plans were a sacrosanct pledge in the Coalition Agreement as well as promised in the Tory manifesto.
He is pressing for a House of 450 members, each elected by proportional representation from giant regional constituencies for 15-year terms.
However, the rebel letter says the Coalition Agreement only committed the Government to bring forward proposals, not to vote them into law. Former Commons Speaker Baroness Boothroyd urged MPs to oppose the motion, calling it an “outrage” and “reckless”. “What they’re seeking to do is to limit debate on this major constitutional issue,” she said. “I believe it is an outrage, and an abuse of Parliament.”
She said elected peers would be “more powerful” and able to challenge the Commons on key legislation and even Budget proposals. Addressing backbenchers, she said: “I say do your duty by Parliament and by the country, and forget the political differences. To those people who are defying the whip: good luck to you.”
Read More
Today’s letter was signed by nearly 40 MPs elected in 2010, including Richmond Park MP Zac Goldsmith, and rising stars Priti Patel, George Eustice and Penny Mordaunt. Constitutional reform minister Mark Harper defended the Government’s attempt to limit the time for debate. “I don’t think we should talk about it forever,” he told Today. “There are other important issues that Parliament should determine.”
