'No chance', says Wigley over Lords reform.

THERE is not a "snowball's chance in hell" that the House of Lords will vote for reform, Plaid Cymru's first official peer has warned.

Lord Wigley, a former party leader, said the UK Government will have to override the Lords and use the Parliament Act to secure an elected second chamber.

In a lecture at Bangor University, Lord Wigley said: "Turkeys don't vote for Christmas. I don't believe that there is a snowball's chance in hell of the Bill being approved by the Lords.

"It would therefore depend on there being a political will amongst the coalition government to force the issue by using the Parliament Act."

The former Caernarfon MP was chosen as the party's lead candidate for a peerage following a decision to abandon a boycott of the House of Lords.

He is now convinced that more Plaid peers are needed, arguing: "It is, frankly, unsustainable.

If Plaid is expected to play a full role in the second chamber we need two or three there, as we might expect if the second chamber was an elected body.

"However, with the present patronage system of appointment, there is no guarantee that will happen."