Patrick Wintour, chief political correspondent. Tony Blair was warned yesterday not to use plans for Lords reform due to be published this week as badly needed political cover to override peers objections to a ban on fox hunting

Sarah Hall, political correspondent. Alun Michael, the rural affairs minister, promised a law to ban hunting will be on the statute book by the next election, as Labour peers argued against the legislation during a marathon House of Lords debate.

Michael White, political editor. Official figures from the last vote on the issue show that a total ban, now backed by the Commons but defeated by 331 to 74 votes in March 2002, would have lost by 259 to 70 in the House of Lords even without the hereditaries' presence.

Peter Morrell, The Western Mail. How has it come to this? Parliament should only limit the rights of a minority if there is conclusive evidence that such action would be in the clear public interest. No such case for a hunting ban has been made.

Marie Woolf, chief political correspondent. A minister signalled that hunting will be banned.

Leader. We should be especially grateful for the wise words of the former foreign secretary Lord Hurd, who seems to have taken over the leadership of the common sense party in the House of Lords.

Police are investigating an arson attack on Rory Innes, one of the first two people to be summonsed for breaking the ban on hunting in Scotland, who is currently living in Dorset.

George Jones, political editor. The Government's legislative programme could be thrown into chaos in the run-up to the next election if Tony Blair forces through a ban on hunting, Lady Mallalieu, the pro-hunting Labour peer, said yesterday.

Leader. Contrary to the Government's original intention, which was to allow hunting to continue under licence, the Commons destroyed all attempts at reaching a reasonable compromise and voted for an outright ban. Riding roughshod over any proposals the House of Lords may now have to offer, that decision is to be hammered through.

Graham Tibbetts. The official start of the hunting season is to be turned into a major recruitment drive for volunteers willing to break an outright ban on the sport: Declaration Day.

George Jones, political editor. The Government paved the way last night for foxhunting to be banned outright in England and Wales as soon as next year after abandoning attempts to reach a compromise based on a licensing system. Lord Whitty also confirmed that an estimated 20,000 hounds faced being destroyed as they would not make suitable family pets.