Labour MPs in Brighton were today refusing to back Tony Blair over reform of the House of Lords.

Kemp Town MP Des Turner and Pavilion MP David Lepper are backing an amendment which would derail the Prime Minister's favoured option.

Mr Blair has pledged to back a wholly-appointed Lords in a series of seven votes at Westminster tonight.

However, Dr Turner and Mr Lepper want the vote on appointing every member of the Lords to be changed to a protest against the fact there is no vote for abolition.

Dr Turner said he could not support the motion as it "does not accord with the principle of a unicameral Parliament". This means a legislative body with only one chamber.

A total of 103 MPs have condemned the decision not to give them a vote to scrap the Lords altogether.

Unless the MPs' amendment is selected for debate and passed, they will instead vote on an appointed chamber, a wholly-elected chamber and five options in between. These include 40, 60 and 80 per cent elected.

Robin Cook, leader of the Commons, defended the fact there is no vote on abolition. He said that Labour had fought the last election on a promise to reform the Lords, not scrap it altogether.