Briton’s fear House of Lords will BLOCK Boris Johnson’s Brexit bill – ‘Delayed for weeks!’
BORIS JOHNSON’s Withdrawal Agreement Bill sailed through the House of Commons on Thursday but Britons fear peers in the House of Lords may block the Bill from becoming law, an exclusive poll has revealed.
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On Thursday night MPs voted 300 to 231 in favour of moving Boris Johnson’s Brexit Bill to the House of Lords, in a huge victory for the Prime Minister. But an Express.co.uk has revealed that readers are worried peers may prevent and block the Bill from becoming law, as the Government doesn’t hold a majority in the upper house. Under Theresa May’s Government, peers repeatedly blocked bills from progressing to the final stage.
The poll, carried out from 12-9pm January 10, asked: “Do you fear the House of Lords will block Brexit?”
Of 4,610 respondents, 59 percent (2,710 people) said they were concerned peers would block the Prime Minister’s Brexit Bill.
41 percent (1,900 people) opted for “no, this does not worry me”.
Writing in the comments, one reader feared the peers could delay the Brexit process by adding amendments to the Bill.
They wrote: “The Lords are bound to put through more Brexit scuppering amendments.
“This could delay the process by weeks.”
Another person warned they could delay the Bill for two years but said: “However, the Parliament Act thankfully removed from the House of Lords the power to veto a Bill!”
Many readers said they were not worried about the Lords blocking the Bill, as it could result in the UK leaving on World Trade Organisation (WTO) terms - without a deal.
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One person wrote: “If the Withdrawal Agreement (WA) doesn’t go through we are still out at midnight on the 31st only WITHOUT the WA and its horrible bits.
“We get the No Deal so many of us want. So please, block away!”
Another person said: “We win either way, blocked, no deal WTO, otherwise Boris gets his way and we still leave.”
One person warned that blocking the Bill would lead to calls for the upper house to be dismantled.
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They said: “If they do block it there will be a push throughout the country to get it abolished once and for all.”
Downing Street has urged the upper house to back the Bill and support the millions of voters who voted for the UK to leave the European Union.
Mr Johnson’s official spokesman said: “The country did deliver a very clear message that they want Brexit to be resolved.”
Brexit Secretary Steven Barclay has also warned the House of Lords not to undo the hard work of the Government as it reaches its next stage.
Mr Barclay said: “I anticipate constructive scrutiny, as we would expect in the other place (the Lords), but I have no doubt that their lordships will have heard the resounding message from the British people on December 12.”
Under the Salisbury Convention, the Lords are not meant to oppose the second or third reading of any government legislation which has been promised in its election manifesto.