Peers have failed in their bid to derail the coalition's plan to hold a referendum on the voting system on May 5 next year.
Led by Labour's Lord Falconer, several peers attempted to delay the second reading of the Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill today by getting it declared a hybrid bill.
This would have sent it to a special committee and thrown the governments planned timetable to hold a referendum next year into chaos.
The Bill needs to be passed by Parliament to enable the coalition to hold a referendum on ditching the first past the post electoral system. Any delay in the passage of the Bill could scupper moves to hold the ballot on May 5.
Hybrid bills have characteristics of both a public bill and a private bill in that although they are of general interest they are also deemed to also significantly affect the interests of certain individuals or organisations.
Lord Falconer argued that as the Bill contained specific measures for two constituencies, Orkney and Shetland and the Western Isles, it was hybrid.
However the government managed to defeat the move 224 to 210, a majority of 14, and avoided the Bill's second reading being delayed.
The legislation was a crucial part of the coalition agreement between the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats.
As well as opening to door to electoral reform the bill will cut the number of MPs from 650 to 600.
A report from the House of Lords Constitution committee last week criticised the way the government has introduced the Bill without pre-legislative scrutiny or public consultation.
Speaking to the Radio 4's Today programme, justice minister Lord McNally said the Bill was a "minor adjustment" which is about "getting wrinkles and unfairness out of our system".
And he said the clerk of the House of Lords had told him Labour plans to declare the legislation a hybrid Bill did not have "a leg to stand on".
He said "If the House of Lords falls for this elephant trap he's constructed on this hybrid, then they are not as smart as I think their lordships are."
Lord McNally added: "I'll see you in court Charlie."
Lord Falconer told the programme the Bill will lead to a significantly reduced number of backbenchers and therefore a "weaker House of Commons".
He said: "We need a strong House of Commons to hold the Government to account. If what you do is keep the Government the same size and at the same time take away 50 backbenchers, surely that's going to weaken the strength of the Commons."
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