Labour MP Graham Allen says the decision to ask parliament for its view on Lords reform represents a failure of leadership and a desire to kick the issue into the long grass

The reality of British politics is that parliament rubber stamps the view of the government of the day.

Therefore when we hear that an issue is "to be decided by parliament" on a free vote it means either a failure of leadership in government or an attempt to lose an issue in the Parliamentary playground.

There is of course a third option and that is that government has committed itself to a new method of policy making in which it allows the legislature to be an equal partner in creating law - we can of course dismiss this daydream immediately.

The prime minister's failure to provide a lead on this issue stands in stark contrast to the direction that is provided in most other policy areas. It is further evidence that Labour's early commitment to a democratic agenda was always a debt of honour to John Smith rather than a central thread of the government's mission.

Taking six years to produce a white paper on regional government, six years to produce a joint committee on democratising our second chamber and six years to still be thinking about freeing up the powers and finance of local government are not the hallmarks of a democratic radical.

As to the prospects for an elected second chamber it is clear that Robin Cook has miraculously achieved a score draw against the democratic dinosaurs and Conservatives at Number 10 and in the cabinet.

This at least keeps the door open to the possibility for reform. However the scope for delay and procedural game playing is endless and even if a conclusion is reached government still controls the parliamentary timetable, similarly Robin Cook the champion of reform could be shuffled out of harms way.

Parliament has been institutionalised by government to such a degree that MPs will find it very difficult to organise themselves to provide a coherent answer. Such confusion is what many in the leadership want.

Yet despite all the difficulties an opportunity remains which many of us will relish. The test for MPs is - despite their inexperience in law making - whether they can rise to this rare challenge.