MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

In highly unusual move, PM May attends House of Lords Brexit debate

Mrs May took up her position, which she is permitted to occupy as a member of the Privy Council, as peers began debating the EU Notification of Withdrawal Bill.

Theresa May has taken the highly unusual step of sitting in the House of Lords to hear peers being told by the UK Government not to “frustrate” Brexit. The Prime Minister sat on the steps in front of the Royal Throne as Lords leader Baroness Evans of Bowes Park told peers to respect the decision of the British people in last year’s referendum and the “primacy” of the elected House of Commons.

 Mrs May took up her position, which she is permitted to occupy as a member of the Privy Council, as peers began debating the European Union (Notification of Withdrawal Bill).

The legislation, which will pave the way for the PM to trigger Article 50 of the EU treaties to formally begin Brexit, was passed with no amendments and by large majority of 372 MPs.

Mrs May used a by-election campaign visit to Stoke-on-Trent on Monday to urge peers not to hold up “what the British people want” by weighing the Bill down with amendments.

And her presence in the Lords chamber ahead of two days of debate during the Bill’s first stage in the upper chamber will be interpreted as a visual warning to peers seeking to amend the legislation.

Around 190 peers are expected to speak during the two days set aside for the Bill’s second reading debate, the first time the upper chamber will debate the legislation.

Peers are not expected to vote on the Bill this week but the Government, which does not have a majority in the Lords, is braced for a battle over EU citizens’ rights and a meaningful parliamentary say on the final Brexit deal when the Bill returns for its committee stage next week.

But Mrs May used a visit to the Emma Bridgewater factory in Stoke ahead of Thursday’s by-election to warn the Lords: “When the Bill to allow the Government to trigger Article 50 to start the Brexit process went through the House of Commons it went through with good majorities.”

“It was not amended. I hope that the House of Lords will pay attention to that.”

“Properly there will be debate and scrutiny in the House of Lords, but I don’t want to see anybody holding up what the British people want, what the people of Stoke-on-Trent voted for last year, which is for us to deliver Brexit, to leave the European Union.”

Opening the debate, Lady Evans said she was “confident” that peers would take a “constructive approach”. She added: “This Bill is not the place to try and shape the terms of our exit, restrict the Government’s hand before it enters into complex negotiations or attempt to re-run the referendum.”

Labour’s leader in the Lords, Baroness Smith of Basildon, confirmed her party will seek to amend the Bill to guarantee the rights of EU citizens in the UK and ensure a “meaningful” vote on the outcome of Brexit negotiations.

Asked why Mrs May had chosen to watch part of the Lords debate, a Downing Street spokesman said: “It’s just a recognition of the importance of this Bill as it proceeds through the Lords.”