John Prescott urges Lords' ban

John Prescott said a ban on the Lords would fulfil old Labour pledge

The Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott has used the Labour Regional Party conference in Liverpool to call for the abolition of hereditary peers

More than 400 delegates from across the North West have gathered at the city's St George's Hall for the event.

In his speech, John Prescott branded hereditary peers "an offence to democracy", and said it was time for them to be abolished.

Mr Prescott said doing so would fulfil an old Labour party manifesto pledge.

His latest call comes after the House of Lords rejected the Government's proposals for all postal ballots for this year's local and European elections, which are due to take place in June.

The pilot scheme was proposed for the North West, North East, the East Midlands and Yorkshire and Humber.