Labour's proposals will be set out by Lord Richard, the Government Leader in the Lords, at a conference in London later on Monday.

Change in phases

The transformation of parliament's second chamber is likely to take place in stages.

Legislation is to be published in the autumn outlining the government's determination to press ahead with its manifesto commitment to abolish hereditary peers' voting rights.

Labour also intends to create of an "interim" chamber of around 600 life peers.

The plan would see 750 hereditary peers losing the right they have had since the 14th century to sit in the House of Lords, although they would keep their titles and other privileges.

More detailed plans for the reconstitution of the upper chamber will come later.

Tory opposition

Hague: says Labour's reforms lack a clear vision

However, the proposed changes have already sparked an angry reaction from the Conservative Party.

The Tories have insisted that they are not opposed to reform of the Lords.

But they say they are wary of letting the government proceed with the first step - abolishing hereditary voting rights - without having the next fully worked out.

William Hague tells David Frost the changes would make the Lords less independent

The Conservative leader William Hague signalled on Sunday that his party would vigorously oppose Labour's plans, which he said were ill thought out.

"They don't know what they actually want to do to the House of Lords, so now they are falling back on their contingency plan, which is to say let's just get rid of the hereditary peers and leave it as a huge quango," said Mr Hague.

Concern of peers

Lord Cranborne, the Conservative leader in the Lords, suggested his party could delay Government-backed legislation if it disapproved of Tony Blair's plans for revamping the second chamber.

Blair: Tories fear the changes would give him too much power

He claimed Labour had no interest in reaching an agreement over reform of the second chamber.

"We would very much like to try and see whether a forum could produce an agreed way forward for reform of the House of Lords which could perfectly well envisage the abolition of the hereditary peerage," he said.