A view from the Lords, with LORD GREAVES

THIS week, last week and the week before we've been playing ping-pong in the two Houses of Parliament!

That's the technical term (I kid you not) for what happens when the Commons and the Lords cannot agree on a new law. Most Bills are first passed by the House of Commons and are only then sent along to the Lords.

Usually the Lords change lots of things, so we have to send Bills back to the Commons for them to agree the changes - and it's when they don't agree that the ping-pong starts.

The game now being played will affect everyone in East Lancashire because it's about all-postal voting in the June 10 European and local council elections.

If we have it, there will be no ballot boxes nor polling stations. Everyone will have their ballot paper posted to them two weeks before "polling day" and you have to mail it back or take it to the town hall.

So is this a good idea in the North West? The Government and the Labour Party, backed by their huge Commons majority, say yes. But the independent Electoral Commission, all other political parties and the House of Lords, say no.

The question has been back and forth between the Houses no fewer than three times, with more due this week. So why is it important?

We've had all-postal voting experiments in council elections in Chorley and Hyndburn, with Chorley's MP Lindsay Hoyle in favour because it increases the 'turnout'. And he was backed by dad Lord Hoyle, Nelson and Colne MP in the 1970s, who said it's the way to stop the BNP.

Some of us are more worried about the secret vote. If everyone is sent a ballot paper the secrecy of the ballot cannot be enforced. There are lots of ways that people can intimidate voters or even steal their votes; or simply vote for other members of their family - just think of all the unused ballot papers lying around!

There have been a lot of allegations of postal votes being fiddled in many parts of our region, not least here in towns such as Blackburn, Burnley and Nelson. The Electoral Commission say this is their main worry.

But it's getting late. The elections are ten weeks away and the more this thing flies up and down the gothic corridors of Westminster, the harder it is for council officials to get elections organised.

I still hope the Government will come to their senses so we can have elections here this year that are both honest and efficient.