Marking its first defeat after being re-elected by a majority in the general election in December 2019, the Brexit legislation has cost the UK government led by Boris Johnson three votes in the House of Lords.
According to a BBC report, the bill which facilitates the withdrawal of the UK from the EU with a deal on January 31—The European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Bill—was approved earlier this month by MPs without any alterations.
Bill's passage proving costly for the Conservatives
But despite their emphatic victory in the December 2019 general election, the Conservatives do not have a majority in the Lords and have suffered a series of defeats during the bill's passage through the House.
Meanwhile, on Monday, the first defeat for the bill was over the rights of EU citizens lawfully residing in the UK after Brexit. Peers backed a cross-party amendment allowing EU citizens physical proof of their status, reports metro.co.uk. The vote, by 270 to 229, majority 41, means the bill will have to go back to the Commons, where Johnson will be able to use his big majority to overturn it.
Commons vote to approve Queen's Speech
In the second defeat, peers voted by 241 to 205, majority 36, to remove the power of ministers to decide which courts should have the power to depart from judgments of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) and by reference to what test.
A third defeat followed as peers backed a move to allow cases to be referred to the Supreme Court to decide whether to depart from EU case law.
Voting on this amendment was 206 to 186, majority 20, as peers warned against interference in the independence of the judiciary. Also on Monday, the Commons voted to approve the Queen's Speech, which outlines the government's legislative agenda. The #Megxit saga has also added to the public scrutiny of the chaos surrounding the country.
(With agency inputs)
