THE House of Lords has thankfully, and temporarily, thwarted Government plans to dismantle the present composition of the House of Lords.

Labour MPs are now talking of bringing this policy back into the next General Election manifesto to re-affirm a public, or "democratic", mandate.

Unfortunately for us, all political party manifestoes under a "democratic" system involve package deals. You can only have the package. There is no chance to opt out. This is the trap.

Many voters indifferent to, or ignorant of, relatively complicated constitutional matters will be beguiled by whichever party offers the best inducements.

This will not stop a future Labour Government claiming that it then has a fresh mandate to destroy the last bastion of control over its executive arrogance. Even worse, unable to agree on the solution, they may just impose any alternative simply to destroy.

Martin Cruttwell

Hamilton House,

Scrayingham,

Malton.

Updated: 10:05 Tuesday, March 23, 2004