MPs fear Mr Brown is cutting himself off from Labour members.

Some Labour MPs, constituency parties and unions are set to appeal to the party to reinstate the motions that were due for discussion next week.

It is understood some 96 of 120 contemporary motions were ruled out by the Conference Arrangements Committee.

Labour says some of the motions do not meet a specified criteria.

Labour MP Austin Mitchell said it was "crazy" that motions on housing had been ruled out of order when the issue was so topical.

This closing down of debate within the Labour Party by Brown's imposition of such centralised control is cutting him off from the debates of party members John McDonnell

He has written to union general secretaries calling on them to make a case for the reinstatement of many of the contemporary motions, that are submitted by constituency parties and the unions.

Some motions ruled out of order called for support of the so-called "fourth option" of allowing local authorities to build more council housing, which Mr Mitchell claimed had the support of many rank and file party members.

Labour MP John McDonnell, who failed to gain enough support to challenge Mr Brown to succeed Tony Blair, said: "This closing down of debate within the Labour Party by Brown's imposition of such centralised control is cutting him off from the debates of party members and the concerns of the population at large.

"If Labour Party members are denied a say in this way, they will increasingly be asking: what is the point of going to conference or even of being a party member?"

There is a criteria for what contemporary motions are. It is true that a lot did not meet that criteria Labour spokesman

A number of party activists said the ruling out of so many motions showed the party's "control-freakery" was still present.

But a Labour spokesman said it was not unusual for a number of contemporary motions to be ruled out of order.

"There is a criteria for what contemporary motions are. It is true that a lot did not meet that criteria," he said.

He added that there were still motions on housing on the agenda.

On Tuesday, Labour's ruling body, the NEC, also agreed a package of reforms that will water down union power at Labour's conference.

Concession

Gordon Brown's plans to scrap the "contemporary resolutions" often used by the unions to inflict policy defeats on the party leadership were accepted by 23 votes to four.

From 2008, this will no longer be possible, but the unions received a major concession in that the process will be reviewed after two years.