Peter Hain told Labour's Spring conference yesterday that the party should not go into the election with a "less progressive" policy on Lords reform than that of the Tories or Liberal Democrats.

The Commons leader also admitted: "We [Labour] seem to have arrived at a situation when the progressive middle class are really pissed off with us".

He told a fringe meeting organised by the party pressure group Compass: "I think it is very important we keep faith with a progressive programme of radical programme for democratic reform in the House of Lords.

"I think it is inconceivable that we could go into the next election with a less progressive policy on House of Lords reform than the Tories or the Liberal Democrats."