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Tory peers accused of wrecking tactics over bill to delay Brexit Tory peers accused of wrecking tactics over bill to delay Brexit
(about 7 hours later)
Conservative peers planning to stall the expected Brexit delay bill from being debated in the House of Lords have been criticised as childish and irresponsible. Conservative peers attempting to thwart Hilary Benn’s Brexit delay bill have been described as childish and irresponsible for trying to filibuster its passage through the House of Lords.
Brexit-backing Tory peers have tabled more than 100 amendments to the motion tabled by Labour’s Hilary Benn should the bill pass its Commons stage on Wednesday. Brexit-backing Tory peers tabled more than 100 amendments to a motion put down by Labour leader in the Lords, Angela Smith, to ensure time is given to debate the bill and that it is completed by Friday at 5pm.
The Liberal Democrat leader in the Lords, Dick Newby, said: “This is not even a subtle attempt at wrecking, it’s complete straightforward wrecking. It’s a very childish and irresponsible strategy.” Around 20 Tory peers said it was not fair to have their order paper ripped up to accommodate debate and a vote on legislation. They also objected to having a fixed time limit assigned to the debate, which is not customary in the Lords.
Among the peers to table “wrecking amendments” are the former Conservative leader Michael Howard, Michael Dobbs, Michael Forsyth and the party’s former deputy leader Peter Lilley. Michael Forsyth was among the most vocal and complained Lady Smith’s proposal to give MPs up to 14 hours to complete the passage of the Benn bill in the Lords had driven “all other business off the agenda” while Lord True dramatically added that her motion had been a “dagger in my heart”.
With a lack of rules on the time given over to debates by peers, Labour’s leader in the Lords, Lady Angela Smith, tabled a motion to be debated on Wednesday that ensures Benn’s bill is debated on Thursday should it pass in the Commons, and then complete its final stages by 5pm on Friday. The Liberal Democrat leader in the Lords, Dick Newby, said on the slew of amendments: “This is not even a subtle attempt at wrecking, it’s complete straightforward wrecking. It’s a very childish and irresponsible strategy.”
However, Tory peers have tried to amend this so that precedence is given to a raft of private members’ bills, ranging from legislation on bat habitation, land drainage, local elections, medical records and marriages taking place in a chapel. Among the peers to table “wrecking amendments” were former Conservative leader Michael Howard, Michael Dobbs and the party’s former deputy leader Peter Lilley.
None of these private members bills are expected to pass due to Labour and Lib Dems having a majority in the Lords but they will significantly slow down the parliamentary timetable. Many of them asked for precedence in the timetable to be given to a raft of their private members’ bills, ranging from legislation on bat habitation to land drainage, local elections, medical records and marriages taking place in a chapel.
Each amendment has to be debated, then a vote held on whether to close the debate, and the subject matter itself. Every time peers head through the voting lobbies it takes at least 15 minutes. None are expected to pass because Labour and Lib Dems have a majority in the Lords but the time involved to hear the raft of Tory amendments meant their colleagues were forced to sit through the night, with peers bringing sleeping bags into work to try and catch a nap in between a relentless schedule of voting.
Once the amendments are voted on, Benn’s bill can then begin its passage through the Lords. Peers were expecting to sit at the weekend to ensure it passes all its stages in time for Monday. A Labour source said Tories attempt to filibuster the motion at this stage was intended to push the time available to discuss and vote on Benn’s bill perilously close to Monday 9 September, the date when Boris Johnson threatened to prorogue Parliament effectively scuppering its chance at Royal Ascent.
Lord Newby, who tweeted a picture of himself saying he had packed a duvet in his suitcase for expected late sittings, said: “This is going to take at least 72 hours. We do hope they’ll give up. It’s OK doing this at 3pm in the afternoon but at 5am the following day … It is understood the Conservative peers had set up a rota to make sure there were enough peers around during the votes at different times of the evening.
“Our side are really ready for this though,” said the Labour source. “For some it’s taking them back to the all night sittings of the 1970s in the Commons.”
It is expected peers will also be requested to sit at the weekend to ensure it passes all its stages in time for Monday.
Lord Newby said: “We do hope the [Tories] give up. It’s OK doing this at 3pm in the afternoon but at 5am the following day …
“The government here has time on its side but ultimately we have the numbers.”“The government here has time on its side but ultimately we have the numbers.”
Smith said she tabled her motion to make sure the Conservatives did not use their peers to scupper the legislation. However, in effect, it is her motion that is due to be beset by hold-ups. Smith said she tabled her motion to make sure the Conservatives did not use their peers to scupper the legislation.
She said: “My business motion invites peers to debate and discuss the bill in an orderly way, including an additional sitting this Friday, to allow full consideration of the proposals before next week’s scheduled prorogation of parliament.” She told the Lords: “We should abide by the principle of the primacy of the House of Commons. We are aware of a deliberate attempt to filibuster the bill and I don’t think filibustering is in the best interests of the house.”
House of LordsHouse of Lords
BrexitBrexit
Liberal DemocratsLiberal Democrats
ConservativesConservatives
European UnionEuropean Union
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