The opposition has attacked Tony Blair for his legacy of broken promises and failed policies.

Brandishing a copy of Labour's manifesto, Iain Duncan Smith told the Commons that the government had misled voters on Lords reform, asylum, top-up fees and tax.

"This publication should be entered in the Booker Prize because it's a classic work of fiction," he said.

The opposition leader mocked Tony Blair over his failure to secure backing for an appointed House of Lords.

Speaking after MPs threw out all options for reform, he said Labour had promised to "abolish the House of Lords and replace it with a democratically elected second chamber".

"As ever, lots of excuses, he made a personal promise and he broke his personal promise," he said.

"The manifesto also said they would make the House of Lords more democratic.

"Last night the prime minister voted against the manifesto and broke his promise."

Blair said the Labour manifesto had committed the party to the outcome of the review conducted by Lord Wakeham.

But following the report "there plainly wasn't consensus" about the proposals, he said.

"It is therefore absurd to say that we flouted the will of the house or any other body," added Blair.

Forcing the prime minister onto the back foot, Duncan Smith turned his attention to asylum - saying Blair had broken his promise to remove 30,000 failed asylum seekers each year.

Blair conceded that the commitment had not been met - but insisted the UK was removing many more asylum seekers than its EU counterparts.

He said the government was now sending home "three times the number as when we came to office".

Duncan Smith, however, said ministers had failed again.

"Now they have dropped all the asylum targets and the system is in absolute chaos," he concluded.

Turning to tax, the opposition leader claimed he had discovered another "broken promise".

He quizzed Blair on his comment that voters "shouldn't suppose" Labour planned to increase National Insurance (NI).

Blair said he had stuck to his promises on tax and insisted April's NI increase rise was essential to fund the NHS.

"We have certainly kept out promises on tax," he said.

"We did not make a pledge on national insurance.

"We have raised it because it is necessary get the additional investment into our hospitals and out health service," Blair said.

"If he is opposed to that rise in National Insurance then let him tell us how he can then support the investment in the national health service."

Duncan Smith, however, said it was yet another case of deception.

"From April every single working person and every single company will pay for his broken promise," he said.