Th e government will “resist” any changes to its Brexit bill and seek to overturn the defeat infl icted by the House of Lords, ministers have vowed. Peers defi ed ministers by 358 to 256 to guarantee the rights of EU nationals living in the UK after Brexit.
Th e government said it was “disappointed” at the fi rst defeat for its draft legislation. MPs will have the chance to remove the Lords’ amendment when the bill returns to the House of Commons. MPs will have the chance to remove the Lords’ amendment when the bill returns to the House of Commons. Before then, next Tuesday, the Lords will consider backing other possible amendments to the bill, which authorises Th eresa May to trigger Brexit. Leader of the Commons David Lidington told MPs on Th ursday the bill was a “straightforward” one giving the PM the power to trigger the twoyear Article 50 process of leaving the EU. “And we will therefore seek to resist changes that would make that negotiating task more diffi cult,” he said.
Th e vote came after a heated debate in the Lords where the government was accused of treating EU citizens like “bargaining chips”. Ministers attempted to stave off defeat, saying the issue was a priority for the government but should be tackled as part of a deal that also protected UK expats overseas. Th e amendment backed by the Lords requires the government to introduce proposals within three months of Article 50 to ensure EU citizens in the UK have the same residence rights after Brexit.
Th e Department for Exiting the EU said: “We are disappointed the Lords have chosen to amend a bill that the Commons passed without amendment. “Th e bill has a straightforward purpose – to enact the referendum result and allow the government to get on with the negotiations.” Th e government said its position had “repeatedly been made clear”, saying it wanted to guarantee the rights of EU citizens and British nationals “as early as we can”
