Peers ‘set to play ping-pong with leave vote’
MINISTERS expect a battle to get their Brexit Bill through the House of Lords, David Davis admitted yesterday.
The Brexit Secretary said there could be delays as the legislation bounces backwards and forwards between the Lords and Commons – like “playing ping-pong”.
Mr Davis insisted he is confident the law will be passed in time to invoke Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty by Theresa May’s deadline of March 31.
But he cautioned against assuming it will happen by March 9, when the Prime Minister meets EU leaders for their next Brussels summit.
Reports have speculated that the summit is seen as a perfect forum for her to trigger the formal process for leaving the European Union.
The parliamentary approval that judges ruled was needed to invoke Article 50 passed its Commons stages unscathed.
But anti-Brexit peers will try to amend the Bill next week when it goes to the House of Lords, where the Tories do not have a majority. If changes are made, it must return to the Commons. It is thought unlikely that the Bill can clear the House of Lords before March 7 at the earliest.
Mr Davis stressed on an official visit to Sweden that the EU Notification of Withdrawal Bill passed the Commons with “very solid majorities”.
But peers could defeat the Government, he conceded.
If that happens, he said: “We’ll have some passing backwards and forwards of the Bill. We call it ping-pong.
“But I expect that to be resolved in good time before the end of March.” Asked if invoking Article 50 could happen at the EU summit, Mr Davis said: “The 9th or 10th is not a date I recognise in terms of our timetable.
“What we have said is by the end of March, sometime during March. I’m confident we’ll do it before our timetable.”
Sources later stressed Mr Davis was not ruling out an announcement at the summit.
Mr Davis also vowed the UK will seek a quick deal on the issue of rights for EU nationals in Britain and of Britons living in EU countries.