Prime Minister Tony Blair is said to have put aside his opposition to the election of House of Lords legislators after long arguments in the cabinet. As a result the Labour Party election manifesto includes a commitment to a free vote on the composition of that chamber. It is likely that this will eventually lead to the election of the majority of the legislators.
Other promised reforms include the removal of the remaining 92 hereditary legislators-for-life, a limit of 60 days on the time for which the Lords can delay legislation passed by the House of Commons and a ban on Lords blocking manifesto commitments.
Tory legislators-for-life are expected to be ferocious in their resistance to the democratisation of the Lords.