Lords reform: Tit-for-tat Clegg blocks Tory bid to cut MPs

Coalition tensions hit breaking point today after Nick Clegg blocked prized Tory plans to cut the number of MPs.

The Deputy Prime Minister ordered the tit-for-tat move as he admitted that Tory rebels had sunk the Liberal Democrats' long-cherished aim of Lords' reform this Parliament.

He accused the Conservatives of breaking part of the "contract" between the two parties.

Mr Clegg said the Coalition would survive despite the unprecedented breakdown in relations.

But Conservative MPs will be furious at the Lib-Dems blocking a boundary review which many saw as crucial to David Cameron securing an overall majority at the next election.

The Prime Minister will face a storm of protest from Right-wingers calling on him to end the Coalition.

At a press conference this afternoon, Mr Clegg argued that Lords' reform was a "fundamental part of the contract that keeps the coalition parties working together in the national interest".

He added: "My party has held to that contract even when it meant voting for things that we found difficult.

"But the Conservative party is not honouring the commitment to Lords reform . . .  as a result, part of our contract has now been broken."

Tory MPs blocked a parliamentary timetable for the Lords reforms Bill for an 80 per cent elected Upper Chamber meaning it could be kicked into the long grass by opponents.

Mr Cameron pledged to seek to win round rebel MPs over the summer.

But the Lib-Dems said he had failed to muster enough support to get the Bill through Parliament.

Mr Clegg added: "Coalition works on mutual respect; it is a two-way street. So I have told the Prime Minister that when Parliament votes on boundary changes for the 2015 election… I will be instructing my party to oppose them.

"I cannot permit a situation where Conservative rebels can pick and choose the parts of the contract they like."

A boundary review is under way to reduce the number of MPs from 650 to 600 and make constituencies more equal in size. Some experts said it could hand the Tories 20 more seats.

Conservative MP Stewart Jackson previously warned that the Coalition would be "finished" if the Lib-Dems voted down boundary changes.

Mr Clegg said the Government needed to "restore balance to the Coalition Agreement" and "draw a line under these events".

Downing Street today insisted the boundary review would go ahead.

A Tory source said: "We regret that Lords' reform is not going ahead. There will still be a vote on boundaries in due course and we will continue to make the case for having fewer MPs with a more even distribution of seats."

A Labour source: "We have always believed this was an act of gerrymandering by the Conservative Party."