Mr Major, speaking in lecture on constitutional issues in London, has suggested two sorts of new peers in a reformed upper house.

He wants some peers to be elected to serve 10 years, and others chosen by an Appointments Commission to represent areas of Britain's life.

Government ministers should be able to speak in both the Commons and the Lords, enabling the number of ministers to be cut and tilting more power to parliament and away from the executive, Mr Major said.

John Major welcomes Lords reform

Mr Major called for the Conservatives to "produce our own positive proposals".

If the government acted in haste and without consultation "we should block imperfect reform if we can and delay it for as long as possible if we cannot," he said

Mr Major said: "A proper reform is timely and I would welcome it. But it is not on offer.

"Of course hereditary peerages are an anachronism, although one day we may look back and reflect - that they worked and they were independent, even if they were intellectually difficult to defend."

Sources have denied that he is clashing with the Tories, although Mr Major's views go beyond the party's current position on Lords reform.

A source said: "He has not talked his speech through with William Hague. These are John Major's own views.

"But we see it as an important contribution to the debate, especially over the House of Lords.

Full debate needed on voting reform

"His views are an important clarion call to Conservatives to think about how we are going to manage the constitution."

Mr Major, addressing the Disraeli Lecture of the St Stephen's Club, also criticised the government's handling of the Jenkins report on electoral reform.

He called for Tony Blair to have a full debate and consultation, including talking to the Conservative Party, over the long-term implications of change.

There were "considerable merits" to the current first-past-the-post system, said the former prime minister.

The Jenkins system offered "two classes" of MPs and made coalition government more likely.

Mr Major said: "I say to the prime minister: Be careful over this Our voting system is not to be tampered with for purely party advantage.

"It would be self-interested and discreditable to rig the electoral system. It would put an indelible stain on the government."

The Jenkins report offers "two classes" of MPs

He said Mr Blair was waiting before expressing a view on the proposals "to see if and when it's to his political advantage to bring this forward".

Mr Major stressed the need to curb the "dangers of an arrogant streak" in the present government "before it gets out of hand".

He said: "The most inexperienced government of modern times is tearing up the constitution at a terrifying rate."

The government believed in the "Mao-ist concept" of permanent revolution.

On devolution, Mr Major opposed the idea of an English Parliament, an idea backed by a number of Tories and which Mr Hague has refused to rule out.