queen speech

Queen's speech rebellion over Lords reform

Leading Conservatives are angry that Lib Dem policy is being pursued rather than measures to boost the economy

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Daniel Boffey and Toby Helm

 guardian.co.uk, Saturday 5 May 2012 20.00 BST  Article history

Boris Johnson's re-election was the one bright spot in a dismal week for the Tories at the polls. Photograph: Stefan Rousseau/PA

David Cameron faces the biggest threat to his leadership since entering Downing Street as senior Tories demand he asserts authority over Nick Clegg by dumping Liberal Democrat-driven plans for Lords reform from the Queen's speech this week.

After both coalition parties suffered a drubbing in Thursday's council elections, leading Conservatives are warning that, unless Cameron breaks free of the Lib Dem agenda and spends time on issues that matter to ordinary people, party unity will disintegrate and support for the coalition could collapse.

The warnings come as Cameron and Clegg prepare to renew their coalition \"marriage vows\" at an event on Tuesday, insisting that, despite policy

differences between them, the two parties must continue to work together for the national interest.

The prime minister and his deputy also hope that Wednesday's Queen's speech, when the government will outline its legislative programme for the next year, will relaunch the coalition around a set of shared

objectives. But several senior Tories broke cover on Saturday to protest that priority was being given in the speech to a bill on Lords reform when the public wanted ministers and MPs to focus more on creating jobs and fostering economic growth.

Cameron's former rival for the leadership, David Davis, told the Observer: \"I think if you ask the man on the street what his priorities are, House of Lords reform and gay marriage would not be among them. It would be jobs, cutting taxes, prosperity, growth. It is the economy, stupid. That has never been more true.\" Davis said Tories wanted \"more Conservative flavour to the coalition. That is putting it as mildly as I can.\"

Bernard Jenkin, the Tory chairman of the public administration select committee, said he and many other Tory MPs would not vote for Lords reform. After Cameron said last week that he would campaign for Tory-led

government, as opposed to a solely Conservative one, Jenkin added: \"For a party to be electable it has to concentrate on what matters and not descend into the dangerous vortex of Lords reform. We don't want to be a Conservative-led government, we want to be a Conservative one.\" The Lib Dems, however, show no sign of backing off from Lords reform, which is expected to occupy large amounts of parliamentary time for the next 12 months. Tim Farron, the Lib Dem president, told the Observer there was no question of dropping the plans, which had been backed in broad outline in the manifestos of all three main parties. \"This is the time to get it done. We should get on and do it,\" said Farron, arguing that the Lib Dems would also want to see more progress on the environmental agenda, which is a core issue for his party. Conservative MPs are furious at rumours that a series of government policies, including a higher education bill, have been put on the back burner to make room for Lords reform. However, it is understood that the government will announce plans to legislate on parental leave, including an extension of the rights of fathers to share maternity leave. Also expected is legislation on the right to flexible working, one of a number of measures that pro-market Conservatives have resisted as an extra burden on business.

While ministers are not ready to legislate on reform of social care, the Queen's speech is likely to make a commitment to do so as soon as possible.

Cameron is determined to get back on the front foot after the disastrous local council results, which saw a sudden revival for Labour. On Saturday he said he was delighted by Boris Johnson's victory in the election for mayor of London and vowed that the pair would work together for the good of London.

Tessa Jowell, the former Labour cabinet minister who managed Ken Livingstone's campaign, said Johnson's election was hardly a vote of confidence in the Tory mayor. \"Given the odds stacked against Ken

Livingstone, for there to be a swing from Boris Johnson to him, and to only lose by 62,000 votes out of more than two million cast, execeeded all expectations expressed during the campaign.\"

A growing number of Tories have come out publicly to criticise the way Cameron has allowed himself to swing too much to the Lib Dem agenda. Nick de Bois, the Tory MP for Enfield North, said: \"The government has to remember why it was elected and I am sure the prime minister has heard from the voters that they want us to get on with it and not be distracted by such things as gay marriage and Lords reform. That's the message to be taken from these elections, the voters have made it clear that they want us to focus on jobs, growth and the economy\".

Clegg has insisted that Lords reform be made a centrepiece of the Queen's speech and sees it as non-negotiable. Lib Dems are particularly determined to see a major piece of constitutional reform through, having failed last year to win a referendum on changing the voting system.

The government is also facing mounting opposition to Lords reform from peers of all political persuasions. Peers are also in rebellious mood over Treasury plans to cap charitable donations. An overwhelming majority of Conservative and Liberal Dem peers believe donations to charity should be exempt from the government's proposed cap on tax relief, according to a new poll. The ComRes survey of 79 coalition peers, commissioned by the Charities Aid Foundation, found 70% believe that tax relief on charitable donations should be exempt from the proposed cap.