And Remainers call it a good day for democracy!
THE vote by the House of Lords to keep Britain in the Single Market was hailed triumphantly by Remainers.
They used social media to praise peers for seeking a Norway-style deal, which would mean continued EU free movement and financial contributions to Brussels.
Roland Rudd, the PR chief who chairs the pro-EU group Open Britain, claimed the Lords had spoken for Britain.
Mr Rudd, who is the brother of former home secretary Amber Rudd, wrote: ‘House of Lords has spoken for Britain by voting to keep us in the Single Market.
‘ Time for Conservative and Labour parties to stop talking to themselves and embrace what is best for the country: membership of the European Economic Area.’
Alastair Campbell, Tony Blair’s former spin chief, said: ‘A good night for democracy – such a shame it is the Lords not the Commons standing up for the true national interest.’
Andrew Adonis, the Labour peer who quit as government infrastructure tsar after branding Brexit a ‘nationalist spasm’, also weighed in. He wrote: ‘Proud of House of Lords doing its job as a revising chamber on the European Union Withdrawal Bill, the worst legislation of my lifetime.
‘Our job is to ask MPs to think again about disastrous policies, as we did today by asking Commons to keep Britain in the EU Single Market. Yesterday’s vote to stay in the Single Market is the first time in my 13 years in the House of Lords that a motion has been carried against a three-line whip of both the Government and the Opposition. Shows how serious the Brexit crisis is to peers of all parties.’
Another Remainer, Tory MP Anna Soubry, welcomed the vote in the Lords. ‘Parliament is finally taking control of Brexit and is seeing off a minority of ideologically- driven hard Brexiteers,’ she wrote.
‘By whatever name or device there’s a growing all-party consen- sus in both Houses to ensure the UK retains the benefits of the Single Market and customs union after we leave the EU.’
Chris Leslie, a Labour former shadow chancellor, said: ‘There is some hope! Lords ignore party whips and vote to keep UK in the EEA Single Market.
‘This means MPs will have chance to decide now.’ He urged followers to tell Jeremy Corbyn and Labour’s Brexit spokesman Keir Starmer that ‘we cannot afford for the Labour frontbench to abstain again when it comes to Commons.’ Pro- EU Labour MP Ben Bradshaw tweeted a list of the peers who voted for the Single Market amendment, saying they were heroes.
But former Tory Treasurer Lord Ashcroft wrote: ‘If those in the Lords who wish the UK to effectively remain in the EU (or similar) can use any tactic to further their aims then perhaps the Government has the nuclear option to appoint 100 new peers to support Government policy.’
And former Tory MP Douglas Carswell added: ‘One consequence of Lords antics is that at the next election both main parties will likely propose abolition of Lords in its current form. Despicable and anti-democratic behaviour.’
Peers risked accusations of scaremongering yesterday by warning of higher food prices after Brexit. They said grocery bills would go up if the Government failed to secure a free trade deal with the European Union.
They also suggested businesses could go bust and supplies would be put at risk. ‘If an agreement cannot be negotiated, Brexit is likely to result in an average tariff on food imports of 22 per cent,’ said the report from the EU energy and environment sub-committee.
‘While this would not equate to a 22 per cent increase in food prices for consumers, there can be no doubt that prices paid at the checkout would rise. To counteract this the Government could cut tariffs on all food imports.’
‘Asking MPs to think again’