02 Mar PM Theresa May will still trigger Article 50 on March 15th
Despite a defeat in the House Of The Lords sources in Downing Street have confirmed that the schedule for triggering Article 50 still remains unchanged and Prime Minister Theresa May still plans to go ahead with the planned date of March 15th.
The defiant confirmation from Downing Street came after peers overwhelmingly passed an amendment to the crucial legislation that would force the PM to make a commitment before a deal is struck with Brussels.
The defeat in the Lords which came as a huge blow at 358 votes to 256 came at the hands of an alliance of Labour, Liberal Democrats, crossbenchers and a handful of rebel Tories, despite a plea from Home Secretary Amber Rudd this did little to waive the peers.
Following the unexpected defeat a Government spokesperson from the Department for Exiting the EU said: “We are disappointed the Lords have chosen to amend a Bill that the House Commons passed without amendment.
“The Bill has a straightforward purpose – to enact the referendum result and allow the Government to get on with the negotiations.”
The fate of this derailment effort by the peers will now head over to The House of Commons who will have to decide whether to accept the peers’ successful amendment or to vote against it, in which case it would pass back to the House of Lords in a process known as ‘ping pong’.
