LONDON: Labour Party ministers will unveil plans to abolish the House of Lords and replace it with a 300-member, wholly elected second chamber in a key political move before the general election.

The Justice Secretary, Jack Straw, has been consulting cabinet colleagues on a blueprint that would represent the biggest change to the way Britain is governed for several decades.

The proposals, expected to be announced soon, would sweep away centuries of tradition and set ministers on a collision course with the 704-member House of Lords, which is resolutely opposed to having elected members.

Ministers are ready to announce their plans, which follow years of fruitless cross-party discussions and several votes in the House of Commons, in an attempt to wrong-foot the Conservatives with a general election less than two months away.

Labour's plan is to provoke elements within the Conservative Party to object to the reforms, which would allow it to paint the party leader, David Cameron, as wedded to old ideas of privilege.