Peers defeat Bill to elect police chiefs

The Coalition Government suffered a defeat on a flagship policy last night when the House of Lords rejected plans for elected police commissioners by 188 votes to 176.

Despite efforts by David Cameron and Nick Clegg to put on a united front on the Coalition's first anniversary, peers backed a Liberal Democrat amendment to the Police and Social Responsibility Bill tabled by Baroness Harris of Richmond, who warned that electing police chiefs could do "irreparable damage".