Britain’s upper parliamentary house dealt a defeat to Theresa May’s government on Wednesday (March 1), voting for a change to her Brexit plan that says she can only trigger divorce talks if she promises to protect EU citizens’ rights.
The defeat is a blow to the Prime Minister, who had hoped to pass her Brexit bill without changes, and it will push back the earliest date she can formally launch the process of Britain’s departure from the European Union to around March 13.
The House of Lords voted 358 to 256 to make an amendment to the “European Union (Notification of Withdrawal Bill)” which requires the government to publish proposals on how to protect the rights of EU citizens currently living in Britain within three months of triggering exit negotiations.
May is expected to use her majority in parliament’s lower chamber to overturn the defeat to allow her to trigger Brexit, a former Conservative MP and current House of Lords peer Lord Norman Lamont said.
“They (the Lords peers) did feel strongly about it, but I still think they’re wrong,” he said in an interview with the BBC.
“I think she (Theresa May) will consider what they say, but I’m quite confident the government will reject it,” he went on to say.
Lord Lamont’s comments comes as a government source said 10 Downing Street would look to reverse the change when the amended bill is put before the lower house of parliament. Both houses must approve any changes before the bill can become law, and before May can trigger the legal exit process.
(REUTERS)
