Lords challenge MPs' secrecy over expenses

They pledged to do their best to wreck House of Commons' legislation that would shroud politicians' expenses and allowances in secrecy.

But if this fails, they are considering "shaming" MPs - by blocking an exemption from freedom of information laws for the House of Lords.

It would create a bizarre situation where the public could find out the pay and perks of members of the Upper House but not those of their local MPs.

Details of the plan emerged as anger mounted over the "dubious manner" in which Conservative MP David Maclean's Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill was railroaded through the Commons on Friday. Despite Labour insisting it was remaining "neutral", the Bill was given parliamentary time and won the support of 78 of its MPs.

They included 26 ministers and allies of Prime Minister-elect Gordon Brown, among them Treasury minister Ed Balls.

Lord McNally, the Liberal Democrat leader in the Lords, said: "The Government says it has no view on the Bill but it seems to be trying to pull a fast one.

"It has behaved in a very dubious manner in the Commons to keep finding time for the Bill and then, miraculously, nearly 100 Labour MPs turn up to push it through.

"We are determined to kick it out. I suspect quite a few members of the Upper Chamber find it all distasteful and will be keen to put the brakes on legislation from a Commons acting in naked selfinterest."

He added: "It is a big test for Gordon Brown and whether he is serious about open and accountable government."

If the Bill passes through the Lords unchanged, it will remove Parliament from the list of public bodies forced to release documents under the Freedom of Information Act, which came into effect in 2005.

Supporters insist it will prevent people from requesting private letters and emails between constituents and MPs.

But critics insist confidential correspondence is already protected. They believe the real reason for the Bill is to conceal embarrassing details about MPs' expenses and allowances.

The proposed legislation could be discussed in the Lords as early as June 8, but it might not receive Parliamentary time until as late as July 20.

The LibDems are hoping to kill the Bill by "talking it out", meaning it runs out of Parliamentary time.