Britain’s EU exit in hands of the Lords
BRITAIN’S House of Lords will today begin detailed scrutiny of the Bill empowering Prime Minister Theresa May to kickstart Brexit, with the fate of EU nationals living in Britain likely to be on the agenda.
The lower House of Commons overwhelmingly approved the draft legislation earlier this month, and the unelected upper house has already held two days of debate before now examining the short Bill line by line.
Peers will be able to propose amendments that could potentially delay Mrs May’s plans to trigger Article 50 of the EU’s Lisbon Treaty – a formal notification of Britain’s intention to leave the bloc – by the end of next month.
This would fire the starting gun on a maximum of two years negotiation with the EU to work out the divorce deal and terms of a future relationship, with Britain automatically leaving the bloc if no agreement is reached by then.
If the Lords approves the Bill without amendments it will be sent, after its final reading on March 7, directly to the Queen to sign into law. However, if there are amendments, the Bill could bounce between the two houses.
Mrs May has urged the Lords to neither amend the Bill nor delay it saying: “I don’t want to see anybody holding up what the British people want ... which is for us to deliver Brexit, to leave the EU.”
I DON’T WANT TO SEE ANYBODY HOLDING UP WHAT THE BRITISH PEOPLE WANT ... WHICH IS FOR US TO DELIVER BREXIT, TO LEAVE THE EU THERESA MAY, BRITISH PM