NICK Clegg has been urged to abandon Lords reform by a Scottish Liberal Democrat peer who fears it will lead to another humiliation for the leader and the party.
The Earl of Glasgow has written to Mr Clegg, warning him it is not a good time to promote more constitutional change.
"It's probably going to get bogged down [at Westminster] and I don't think it's going to get through. It's going to be another constitutional humiliation for Nick Clegg and, therefore, the party," said the peer, referring to last year's failure in the AV referendum.
The Ayrshire-based hereditary peer stressed that another defeat on Lords reform would "make us look rather foolish" and damage LibDem chances at the 2015 General Election.
He added: "I don't really think it's the time now to be having internal fights within the parties when we should be dealing with much more important things like the economy. It could be very damaging."
Lord Rennard, the party's former chief executive, disagreed, stressing that most people supported the idea of electing their parliamentarians rather than having party leaders select them.
However, there is a growing feeling at Westminster that the latest attempt to reform the second chamber is doomed.
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