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UK parliament's upper house likely to attach conditions to Brexit bill - ex minister

The British parliament's upper chamber is likely to attach conditions to legislation giving Prime Minister Theresa May the power to trigger the country's exit from the European Union, a former minister from the opposition Labour Party said on Sunday.

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The British parliament's upper chamber is likely to attach conditions to legislation giving Prime Minister Theresa May the power to trigger the country's exit from the European Union, a former minister from the opposition Labour Party said on Sunday.

Earlier this month, May won approval for the legislation from parliament's lower chamber, the House of Commons. The unelected upper chamber, the House of Lords, is due to begin debating the bill on Monday.

The legislation passed through the Commons without being amended, but it could face a tougher ride through the Lords, where May's Conservative Party does not have a majority.

Amendments aimed at giving EU citizens in Britain guaranteed rights post-Brexit, and calling for parliament to have a vote on the final Brexit deal are expected to attract the most support.

Asked during an interview on BBC TV whether it was his view the government could be defeated on these two issues, Peter Mandelson, a Labour member of the House of Lords said: "I think it is. I think there is a strong body of opinion across party and amongst independent peers as well that both these issues are very serious."

May has said she plans to trigger Article 50 of the EU's Lisbon Treaty by the end of March and that she expects to get the legislation through parliament in time to do so.

If the Lords succeeds in attaching any conditions to the legislation, the amended bill will have to go back to the Commons for its approval. The House of Commons has already rejected amendments on both issues.

The legislation will be passed back and forth between the upper and lower houses until they both agree.

"At the of end of the day the House of Commons must prevail because it is the elected chamber but I hope the House of Lords will not throw in the towel early," Mandelson said.

Justice Secretary Elizabeth Truss told the BBC she expected the Lords to get on and pass the legislation.

"It is a simple bill on do we trigger Article 50, the British people have voted for that, they were clear in the referendum and the House of Lords now needs to get on with it which is what I understand they will be doing," she said.

"I fully expect the House of Lords will recognise the will of the people and the will of the House of Commons, which was overwhelming, and pass that legislation."

 

(This article has not been edited by DNA's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)

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