MPs from all sides of the Commons have united in calling for reform of parliament before voters lose all confidence in the democratic process.

In the traditional debate following the Queen's Speech, MPs said that parliament must reconsider its role and procedures.

The calls were led by William Hague, the out-going leader of the opposition, who said that public confidence in parliament was at an all-time low. Following an election which saw turnout drop below 60 per cent, Hague told MPs that detailed reform of the workings of parliament must be considered.

"If people see policies steamrollered through told there is no alternative they will take a more and more cynical view of the democratic institutions that should be their proud inheritance All of us in this House in all parties should be chastened by levels of voter apathy that saw the lowest turnout in a general election since 1918, with the number of voters staying at home exceeding the number who turned out to vote for the winning party," he said.

He said parliament was seen as too remote: "Elections to this House should be the cornerstone of democratic accountability in our country and yet millions of people are not sufficiently motivated to take part in them. The blunt truth is that people increasingly see politics and parliament as remote from their lives. They don't think it matters and they no longer see parliament as a place in which they can actually get things done."

Hague said Labour had to be seen to be accountable. "We need the government to understand the value of being held genuinely and fully accountable to the British people in this place and we need the government to trust those who work in our public services and those who rely on them," he said.

He said that responsibility for the timetabling of legislation should be transferred from the government to a committee of the House of Commons. Hague argued in favour of more legislation being published in draft form to extend scrutiny and called for parliament to be given more powers to scrutinise European laws.

The Tory leader also called parliament to be given more time to grill ministers and said the power of appointment to select committees should be transferred from the party managers to a new appointments committee independent of the "usual channels".

Earlier in the debate, the Labour MP Barry Sheerman warned MPs would be "neglecting our jobs" unless they examine the role of parliament in the 21st century.

"We neglect both of these at out peril and we owe it to ourselves and the future of parliamentary democracy and our constituents to meet this challenge. There is no reason for not having a good, vigorous and re-energised parliament which holds the executive to account but at the same time allows the government to deliver on its visions," Sheerman told a packed House of Commons.

A fellow Labour MP, David Lammy, said proposed legislation to make all-women shortlists legal would be a welcome step towards making the House of Commons a representative body.

"This development alone will speed up the modernisation process in this place and I know that many other younger voters in this country will be grateful for that. I look forward to the day when women and black people will not stand out on these benches and this House will truly be a house of representatives," he said.