May piles pressure on peers over Brexit Bill

The Prime Minister has piled pressure on the House of Lords not to frustrate the will of the elected Commons by blocking or delaying legislation paving the way for Britain to leave the EU.

Theresa May took the unusual step of sitting close to the throne in the crowded chamber as peers began a marathon two-day debate on the Brexit Bill.

She sat watching intently, just feet away from the chamber’s red benches, as Lords leader Baroness Evans of Bowes Park said the Government had a “strong mandate” from the people and elected MPs to trigger Article 50.

“This Bill is not the place to try and shape the terms of our exit, restrict the Government’s hand before in enters into complex negotiations or attempt to re-run the referendum,” she said.

The European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill has already cleared the Commons unamended with big majorities.

But the Government does not have an in-built majority in the Lords and opposition peers are determined to try and amend the legislation during its later stages.

Labour’s leader in the Lords, Baroness Smith of Basildon, pictured, said her party would not stand in the way of the Bill’s passage but insisted the Government needs to improve the legislation.

She said: “We will not block, wreck or sabotage the legislation before us. But I have also said neither shall we provide the Government with a blank cheque.

“We will seek improvements, we’ll encourage ministers to make reasonable changes and possibly, just possibly, we may ask our colleagues in the Commons to reconsider on specific issues.”

While Labour has vowed not to block the Bill, it is looking to force concessions on issues like giving Parliament a “meaningful” vote before the end of the Brexit negotiations and guaranteeing the rights of EU citizens already legally settled in the UK.