While William Hague's leadership credibility has been put on the line over the Lords crisis, many Labour backbenchers are furious at the way the prime minister has handled the issue.

They were kept in the dark about the negotiations between their own leaders and the Tories in the Lords which had been going on for months.

And, when they were finally told about the proposed deal, it was by Mr Hague during question time in the Commons.

They are fuming that, after a manifesto pledge to abolish hereditary peers' rights to sit and vote in the Lords, their leaders had been stitching up a deal to allow 100 to remain.

And it is not the first time the prime minister has appeared to trim on manifesto pledges.

Ducking policies

Much that was in the pre-election programme was left out of the legislative programme for this year and, while references were made to them or draft legislation was announced, there is a widespread fear that the government is ducking the difficult bits of legislation.

There was supposed to be a freedom of information bill, but that has been put on the back burner despite the fact that former minister David Clark had brought it 90% to completion.

There were going to be new laws on workers' rights including moves on union recognition and compensation for unfair dismissal, but there was scant detail in the Queen's speech about what will actually be introduced.

And the centrepiece of the manifesto were plans for a radical, top-to-bottom overhaul of Britain's creaking welfare reform.

Instead Frank Field, the man taken on to "think the unthinkable" about welfare, was sacked and the reforms are going to fall far short of the radicalism promised.

Widespread revolt

Meanwhile, those looking for a new law to outlaw fox hunting should not hold their breath.

But, while appearing to change tack on a number of measures promised in the manifesto, Mr Blair angered many on his own benches by introducing policies never before mentioned.

Independence for the Bank of England upset the left-wing, which he will lose no sleep over. But the proposals to cut benefits to single parents sparked a more widespread revolt.

The latest about face may have served to put William Hague's leadership on the line - not a bad result for Mr Blair.

But it has also strengthened fears on his backbenches that he is ready to abandon or recast polices without any reference to them.

And, in the long term, that could land him with other problems.

But some ministers delighted in the Tories' turmoil, which surfaced during trade questions in the Commons.

Energy minister John Battle, answering a question on the "dash for gas" said that it was Lord Fraser who was responsible for introducing the market structure which the government was now working to reform.

To laughter from backbenchers, Mr Battle said: "I'm tempted to say that to lose one leader of the Lords is unfortunate, as the great wit would put it. To lose two in a day seems downright incompetent.