Nick Clegg admits defeat over controversial Lords reform
Nick Clegg says plans to reform the House of Lords will be abandoned after the coalition contract was "broken" by the Conservatives.
Plans to scrap Lords reform will disappoint Lib Dems
David Cameron may be set to abandon proposed reform to the House of Lords. The Liberal Democrats will be bitterly disappointed.
PM's last try at Lords reform not squared with Lib Dems
ITV News learns that Mr Cameron hadn't squared his watered-down Lords plan with Nick Clegg and the Lib Dems.
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Nick Clegg expected to abandon Lords Reform
Nick Clegg is expected will make an announcement on House of Lords reform today amid speculation that he has been forced to abandon plans for a mainly-elected second chamber.
The Prime Minister has been trying to tempt anti-reform Conservative MPs after a major rebellion over the Reform Bill last month.
However it is believed he has had little success despite the plans being one of the most cherished planks of the coalition agreement for the Liberal Democrats.
Plans to scrap Lords reform will disappoint Lib Dems
David Cameron may be set to abandon proposed reform to the House of Lords. The Liberal Democrats will be bitterly disappointed.
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Cameron's retreat over Lords reform 'will not threaten the coalition'
The former chief executive of the Liberal Democrats thinks that a failure to deliver Lords reform will not threaten the coalition.
– Chris RennardFailure to deliver on the most important aspects of constitutional reform would, of course, be a bitter blow to Liberal Democrats.
But the party will also recognise that the constitutional package within the coalition agreement was not the most important aspect of it to the voters, nor was it nearly as important as the state of the economy as a reason for the decision to provide the country with a stable government.
Labour attack 'Naive Nick Clegg' over Lords reform
The Shadow Justice Secretary Sadiq Khan has reacted to reports that the Government is to abandon plans to reform the House of Lords:
We warned Nick Clegg that the real roadblock to reforming the Lords was the Tory Party - something we learned the hard way from our 13 years in Government.
Only now is it dawning on Nick Clegg that it is his coalition partner that is tooth-and-nail opposed to reforming and modernising our second chamber.
Nick Clegg marched his MPs through the voting lobbies in support of the harsh and unfair policies of this Tory-led Government in anticipation of receiving Lords reform in return.
But now Nick Clegg may end up with nothing, ruthlessly exposing his naivety.
Millions of people struggling through the tough economic times will question his political priorities.
David Cameron's retreat over Lords reform
Plans to reform the House of Lords were outlined by David Cameron and Nick Clegg earlier this year. It would see appointed peers replaced with elected senators.
The Daily Telegraph says although David Cameron was preparing to water down reforms to win over rebels MPs, that plan will now be scrapped. Downing Street reportedly feared debate over reforms could drag on at a time when ministers should be focused on sorting out Britain's economy.
David Cameron 'to abandon plans' on Lords reform
It's reported David Cameron is about to abandon plans to reform the House of Lords. The Daily Telegraph says an announcement is due in the next few days after he failed to win over Conservative rebels.
It could cause a big rift in the Coalition because it is a key policy of the Liberal Democrats.
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Drafting in 3,500 soldiers to guard Olympics 'not very clever'
The former security minister Lord West, who had responsibility for the security of the Olympics from 2007-10, has said that drafting in soldiers to guard the games at the last minute is "not very clever".
He told ITV News he believed there had been a "triumph of optimism at G4S" and that the Government should have watched the company more closely.
From Afghanistan to redundancy to guarding Wimbledon
Patrick Mercer MP has said he is disappointed to hear that soldiers from his former regiment, The Mercian Regiment, are to guard the Olympic tennis just after returning from a tour of Afghanistan and learning that their jobs are likely to be axed under Government cuts.
He also told ITV News that he believed G4S had many suitable applicants for the posts, but that they might have been put off by the low pay.
Lords safe for the summer
The Government will attempt to "build consensus" on the best way forward for Lords reform, House of Commons Leader Sir George Young has told MPs.
But he failed to give a date for the House of Lords Reform Bill's return to the Commons following the Government's decision to abandon its proposed timetable in the face of a huge Tory rebellion.
The legislation was not included in the Commons business announced for the first week back after the summer recess in September.
House of Lords reform: What next?
The next steps for legislation to reform the House of Lords are expected to be announced today in the wake of the Government's dramatic climbdown over its timetabling.
Leader of the Commons Sir George Young is due to update MPs on the future of the House of Lords Reform Bill, which is facing severe difficulties after 91 Conservative MPs opposed it this week.
Ministers have promised a new timetable motion before the House of Lords Reform Bill enters the committee stage in the autumn. Tory sources said last night that Sir George would update MPs at business questions in the Commons today.
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Supporters of reform are expected to speak to rebels individually over the coming weeks, though a government source acknowledged that some of them would prove "unbudgeable"
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