The opposition has denied it will hold legislation "hostage" in the House of Lords but has warned ministers to expect a difficult parliamentary session.

Lord Strathclyde, the Tory leader in the upper house, told GMTV's Sunday programme that peers were in no mood to compromise and could withdraw cooperation with the government on many issues.

Conservative and Liberal Democrats in the Lords are angered at the government's plan to remove the remaining 92 hereditary peers.

They believe ministers should only introduce legislation once firm plans are in place for further Lords reform.

Critics say the government is reneging on an earlier commitment to an elected element in the upper house and have vowed to challenge ministers in the second chamber.

Strathclyde said feelings are running high in the House of Lords following the Queen's Speech.

"There is no question of us holding legislation to hostage but I think we will try to do our work as a second chamber more effectively, more strongly and the government may find it more difficult to get the co-operation that they had on many instances last year," he said.

"That is a function of the decisions they have taken.''

The Tory chief denied that peers were playing politics over the reform issue and called on the government to rethink its legislation.

"They should withdraw their current plans and join us, the Liberal Democrats and other groups in real talks about the nature of our parliamentary system," he said.

"Now if they can't do that it means that when they come to us and they are asking for legislation to be rushed through, I think that our backbenchers, right across the House, will find it much more difficult to choose to co-operate.

"We are not going to bash legislation willy-nilly. This is not mindless aggression.

"This is trying to make sure we get better laws that are going to suit all of us and that we challenge the House of Commons, challenge the government as to why they are pushing legislation through."