Cook defies Blair over reform of the Lords

Robin Cook, the Leader of the Commons, put himself at odds with Tony Blair yesterday by declaring that an all-appointed House of Lords would undermine Parliament.

As MPs prepared to vote tomorrow on options for a reformed second chamber, Mr Cook warned that failing to have any elected peers would further encourage public cynicism and lack of trust in politicians.

In a series of television interviews and in a caustic speech to a Fabian Society conference, Mr Cook stressed that Labour's general election manifesto called for greater democracy in the Lords.

A majority of cabinet ministers – including David Blunkett, the Home Secretary, who called yesterday for an upper House wholly appointed by the "nations and regions of the UK" – are expected to back Mr Blair.

But Downing Street is by no means sure of securing the support of all government ministers in the free vote, with many modernising junior ministers supporting Mr Cook. The Schools minister David Miliband is leading a clutch of ministers such as Douglas Alexander, Yvette Cooper and Stephen Twigg in backing a largely elected Lords.

The vote is expected to be close. Most Tories favour an element of election in the second chamber and the Parliamentary Labour Party is split.