Lords reform Bill to be tabled

A Lords reform Bill that is set to strain the Coalition to its limits is due to be tabled amid threats of a Tory rebellion and a Labour attempt to derail the timetable for pushing it through.

Labour wants more days allotted to debating the legislation, which would introduce an 80% elected Upper House and slim membership down from 800 to 450, and confirmed it will join with Conservative rebels to vote down a motion setting out its passage through parliament.

Ministers aim to make the Bill law by the spring but a defeat on the timetable would pave the way for as much as four or five weeks of debate in the autumn, which would swallow up time needed by for other business.

Conservative opponents of reform - of whom there are thought to be as many as 100 in the Commons - would also seek to use the opportunity to "talk out" the legislation.

Labour leader Ed Miliband announced his party will back the reforms in the Commons but is expected to table an amendment demanding that any change is subject to a national referendum - something which the Government has firmly ruled out.

The Bill, approved by Cabinet with "strong support" from ministers on Tuesday, is being driven by Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and forms the remaining centrepiece of Liberal Democrat constitutional reform plans, following defeat in last year's referendum on voting reform.

It would finally complete the removal of hereditary peers from the Second Chamber and introduce the first elected members in tranches of 120 at each of the next three general elections, with the process of change completed by 2025. Elected members would serve for a single 15-year term.

In a concession to critics, ministers have scrapped plans for a salary of about £60,000 for members of the new Upper House. Members will instead receive £300 for each day they attend - a maximum of about £45,000 a year - and this sum will be taxed, unlike the attendance allowances currently paid to peers.

Ministers insist that the reforms will maintain the primacy of the House of Commons within Parliament. But critics warn that this will be under threat once the Upper House has the added clout of democratic legitimacy.

After publication, the Bill will have its second reading in the Commons, followed by the crucial vote on the timetable motion before Parliament rises for its summer break on July 17.

©Press Association

No plan for Lords reform referendum

The coalition has decided against holding a referendum on reforming the House of Lords, it has been revealed.

The outcome will be seen as a victory for Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and the Liberal Democrats, after David Cameron hinted that he could back a national poll.

Historic plans for introducing a largely elected second chamber are due to be published next week. It could begin operating in 2015, but the legislation is facing fierce resistance from Tories and Labour peers.

Critics have argued that the changes should not be a priority at a time of economic crisis, and said such a major constitutional reform requires a referendum.

Labour leader Ed Miliband has also suggested a vote will be needed, while the Prime Minister signalled he could back asking the public.

However, Mr Clegg has insisted that a referendum is unnecessary because Lords reform featured in the election manifestos of all three main parties.

Government sources have now confirmed that a national poll - which could have cost more than £100 million - will not feature in the plans.

Mr Cameron is said to have secured concessions in return, including making it clear that the new-look chamber cannot block legislation passed by the House of Commons.

The legislation is expected to propose cutting the number of Lords from around 900 to 300, with at least 80% of peers being elected.

Elections would be held every five years and appointed or hereditary peers will progressively be replaced by the new elected "senators". Each senator will serve for a single term of 15 years and will represent a region rather than a traditional constituency, similar to the European Parliament system.

Aung San Suu Kyi Appeals For UK Support

The Burmese pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi has addressed both Houses of Parliament and said "this is Burma's time of greatest need".

The Nobel peace laureate made the speech in Westminster Hall - the most historic part of the Palace of Westminster - a rare honour, normally only accorded to heads of state.

Speaking to politicians past and present she said she was seeking practical help to address the problems still besetting her country.

In particular, she said she hoped the UK could help rebuild the education system while providing new investment for the future.

"I am here in part to ask for practical help, help as a friend and an equal, in support of the reforms which can bring better lives, greater opportunities, to the people of Burma who have been for so long deprived of their rights and their place in the world," she said.

"My country today stands at the start of a journey towards, I hope, a better future. So many hills remain to be climbed, chasms to be bridged, obstacles to be breached.

"Our own determination can get us so far. The support of the people of Britain
and of peoples around the world can get us so much further."

Her appearance before MPs and peers followed her emotional return on Wednesday to Oxford - the city where she studied in the 1960s and where she settled with her late husband, the Tibetan scholar Michael Aris, in the 1980s.

Earlier, Suu Kyi held a news conference at Number 10 with Prime Minister David Cameron.

The Prime Minister said Suu Kyi's visit to Britain was "a great moment, that few expected and few dared to hope for", the Prime Minister said as they stood side by side at a Number 10 press conference.

"Over these years you have been a symbol of courage and of hope for our people and for your people and around the world," he said.

"Your example has inspired people across the world and it's inspired people here in Britain too.

"So it's an honour to have you here today, and in Parliament where you will speak shortly."

Suu Kyi said Burma is about to go down a "most difficult road" and that now more than ever, the country's friends need to be "watchdogs".

Mr Cameron said Britain would be a "staunch" supporter of Burma's steps towards democracy and confirmed that he had also invited President Thein Sein to visit the UK.