Theresa May warns Lords against veto on Brexit negotiations as EU could come down hard on Britain
THERESA May has warned the Lords that giving Parliament a veto on her Brexit negotiations would encourage the EU to come down hard on Britain.
The PM stepped up her assault on the bid by rebel peers ahead of a showdown vote today.
The government faces a second defeat in the upper house tonight on the bill to trigger Article 50 exit talks when Labour and Lib Dems peers outnumber Tories to insist on Parliament being given the final sign off.
Issuing an eleventh hour plea to them, the PM’s official spokesman said: “We have been clear on a number of occasions that the PM wants to see the bill passed unamended.
“We shouldn’t commit to any process that would incentivise the EU to offer us a bad deal.”
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The spokesman added: “We don’t want to commit to anything that will weaken our hand in negotiations”.
Some ministers had urged Mrs May to climb down and offer lords and rebel Tory MPs a compromise on their demands for a binding vote as talks draw to an end in the Autumn 2018.
But the PM’s hardline also means she has decided to ignore legal warnings that she could face a fresh high court fight unless she agrees to it.
Instead, Downing Street insisted Mrs May will stick to her guns to only allow MPs a yes or no vote on any final deal she is able to deliver.
She will then ask the Commons to overturn the Lords’ decision next week in another major showdown with around 20 former Remain supporter Tory MPs.
A small number of pro-EU Tory and Labour peers will also tonight join forces with the Lib Dems to try to force through a second referendum on the negotiations’ outcome.
Lib Dem lords boss Lord Newby said his 100 peers would vote against triggering Article 50 as well if their demand wasn’t met.
But Labour has refused to back the move, meaning it is very likely to fail.
A bungling official was caught flashing another sensitive Brexit document yesterday.
The slip outside Downing Street revealed ministers are privately fretting over how to make the myriad of major legal changes needed to carry out Britain’s EU exit.
But No10 insisted the document was only advice and no decisions have been taken.
