HYNDBURN'S MP Greg Pope voted to abolish the House of Lords in a Commons vote on the issue on Tuesday.

But the proposition was defeated by 390 votes to 172.

There were a series of other votes on options ranging from a fully-appointed House of Lords through to a fully-elected Lords, with a series of hybrid systems in between.

Having seen his preferred option of abolition defeated, Mr Pope then voted for a fully-elected House of Lords and against all the options that included appointing Lords. Prime Minister, Tony Blair, had made it clear that he supported the appointed option.

After the votes Greg said: "I was delighted to have had the chance to vote for the complete abolition of the House of Lords. It's a view I've held all my adult life and it was a privilege to be able to vote for it in a Commons division lobby. It's just a pity a few more of my colleagues didn't join me!

"After my preferred option of abolition was defeated I then voted for a completely elected House of Lords. I know that many MPs were concerned that an elected Lords might challenge the primacy of the House of Commons, but I felt that the principle of election was important.

"Democracy is such a good idea I thought that after the best part of 1,000 years we might give it a go in the House of Lords. Sadly, this option was narrowly defeated."

The whole issue of reform of the House of Lords will now be referred back to a joint committee of both Houses of Parliament.