Sixth defeat in the Lords

UNELECTED peers inflicted a sixth heavy defeat on the Government’s flagship Brexit legislation last night.

The House of Lords voted by 349 to 221 to tighten rules allowing ministers to change the law without consulting Parliament.

The EU Withdrawal Bill proposes sweeping powers for ministers to change regulations with minimal parliamentary scrutiny.

Ministers argue the powers are needed to ensure that thousands of EU regulations are transferred on to the UK’s statute book before Britain leaves the EU next year.

But a string of peers said the use of these ‘Henry VIII powers’ was too widespread. The legislation suggested allowing ministers to introduce new regulations wherever they felt it ‘appropriate’. Peers voted last night to allow it only where ‘necessary’.

Former Tory Cabinet ministers Lord Patten, Lord Deben and Viscount Hailsham were among 13 Tory peers to vote against the Government.