#Brexit: UK parliament should not be able to overturn EU referendum - PM's spokesman

Britain’s parliament should not be given powers to overturn the 2016 referendum vote to leave the European Union, Prime Minister Theresa May’s spokesman said on Monday (30 April) as opponents sought a greater say on the Brexit deal, writes William James.

Britain’s upper house of parliament defeated May’s government on Monday for the seventh time in two weeks by voting in favour of changes to legislation that will end Britain’s EU membership in March next year.

This time the House of Lords voted to be given a greater say over the final Brexit deal - powers which could force the government back to the negotiating table, and could even be used to halt Britain’s departure.

The government signalled it would fight the changes, which have to be agreed by both houses of parliament before they can become law.

“What this amendment would do is weaken the UK’s hand in the Brexit negotiations by giving parliament unprecedented powers to instruct the government to do anything in regard to the negotiations, including trying to keep the UK in the EU indefinitely.”

The government does not have a majority in the upper house where the amendment will be debated some time after 1430 GMT, and Lords from opposition parties and politically neutral members have signalled their support - almost guaranteeing a government defeat.

May has only a slim working majority in the lower house of parliament, which will be severely tested next month when she calls on members of her divided Conservative Party to throw out the changes.

“‘Trust the Prime Minister’ is not good enough, after all the fumbling we have seen so far,” said opposition Labour Party lord John Monks, arguing that parliament needed a bigger say on the Brexit terms.

The government has committed to giving parliament a vote on the final deal, but has framed this as a choice of whether to accept the terms it has negotiated with Brussels or reject them and leave without a deal.

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