British Prime Minister David Cameron faces one of the biggest rebellions of his premiership after more than a fifth of his own party threatened on Monday to vote against plans to reform parliament's upper chamber, the House of Lords.
The Conservative Party revolt also threatens to take a sledgehammer to Cameron's coalition government with the Liberal Democrats, whose push to make the Lords an elected rather than an appointed chamber is a key condition of the coalition deal.
At least 70 Conservatives signed a letter made public on Monday expressing "serious concern" over the proposals, which they say threaten to pile a "constitutional crisis on top of an economic crisis" as Britain tries to revive its ailing economy. "I'm voting against the programme motion. I'm completely opposed to Lords reform. This bill is simply a means for the Liberal Democrats to blackmail the Conservative Party," Conservative lawmaker Nadine Dorries told Reuters, adding that more than 100 other Conservatives shared her view.