Lords Reform debate begins today.

Lords Reform debate begins today!
Lords Reform Day - the day when the House of Commons gets to vote on reforming the House of Lords - is tomorrow. Before that, the Commons will be embarking on a two-day debate on reform. In our estimation, we have significant grounds for optimism, but not for complacency. 9 cabinet members have written to Labour MPs urging them to vote for the 50%, 60% and 80% elected options, while Liberal Democrat support appears to be holding firm.Our main concern however is that despite David Cameron's pledge to personally support the 80% option and despite a manifesto commitment for a 'substantially elected second chamber', Conservative support is not as firm as we would like it to be. We have called on David Cameron to urge his party to vote for its own policy. If the vote comes down to just a handful of votes, David Cameron's leadership on this issue could make the difference between winning and losing.The vote tomorrow is on the principle of reform, not the details of the Government's White Paper.

If the democratic options are defeated tomorrow, the prospects of reform will be put back by a generation. *No ifs, no buts - a vote against reform tomorrow is a vote against reform EVER.*

You can STILL help!Even though the debate is imminent, you can still help the campaign by telephoning your MP.To do this, simply phone *020 7219 3000* and ask for your MP by name. If s/he is not there ask to 'leave a message on the board' asking him/her to phone you back and stressing that you are a constituent.If you speak to them, ask them if they are planning to vote tomorrow and which way they intend to vote. Urge them to vote for the 80% option.Don't forget, you can still use the Lords Reform Day <http://www.lordsreformday.org.uk> website to look up where your MP stands on Lords Reform: simply go to the front page and type in your postcode.*Every bit of pressure we can put on MPs between now and the vote (which should start at around 5.30pm on Wednesday) will make a difference.* Please don't leave it for someone else to do - they may be leaving it to you.