Government defeated on Brexit bill as Lords vote to guarantee EU citizens right to remain after we leave
Peers have backed an amendment to the Brexit Bill by 358 to 256 - and have a number of other votes left to come tonight
REBELLIOUS Lords were accused of abandoning a million Brits living across Europe as they inflicted a first defeat on Theresa May over Brexit.
Labour, Lib Dem and seven Tory peers sparked fury by joining forces to insist the PM guarantees the rights of 3.2 million EU citizens in Britain now to stay on after our exit.
May insisted she wants to make the promise, but only when the same is offered to our citizens on the continent in exchange.
But the upper house forced through an amendment to the law authorising the start of Brexit talks, by 358 votes to 256.
That sparked a major constitutional stand-off, as the traditionally the Lords never challenges a bill that has not been amended by the Commons.
Senior government sources immediately vowed to overturn the rebellion with a fresh vote by MPs.
The emotional debate saw rowdy scenes in the normally well-behaved upper house, as livid peers shouted over each other.
Former Tory Cabinet minister Lord Tebbit slammed peers for “looking after foreigners not the British”.
And angry former Chancellor Lord Lawson branded the defiance “virtue signalling” and “deplorable”.
One Tory peer who defied the government, Lord Bowness, insisted to block the offer was “mean-spirited” and “does us no good”.
In an embarrassment to No10, among the Tory rebels were three former government ministers - Lady Altmann, Lord Livingston and Viscount Hailsham.
The fresh Commons vote – in a process dubbed ping pong - will delay Brexit’s triggering by at least a week, leaving the PM to miss her aim to trigger Article 50 at the next EU summit on March 9.
Earlier, May told MPs during PMQs that the Lords must respond to “the voice of the United Kingdom”.
Leave campaign boss and Labour MP Gisela Stuart insisted: “The British people voted in their millions to leave the EU, and their elected MPs passed the Article 50 Bill without amendment.
“The House of Lords should do the same and not seek to frustrate the Brexit process.”
The PM’s official spokesman said: “We want EU citizens granted rights to remain here, but we need a reciprocal deal for of British citizens living across EU states.
“The effect of a unilateral declaration would be to leave the status of hundreds of thousands uncertain.”