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#Brexit: House of Lords may try to amend #Article50 bill

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170220Mandelson2Today (20 February), the bill on notification to withdraw from the European Union, the legal act that allows the UK government to trigger Article 50 to leave the EU, will be debated in the House of Lords - the British upper chamber. The debate starts this afternoon and will continue tomorrow. More than 190 members of the Lords have already tabled their interest in speaking during the debate.

Over the weekend, Lord Mandelson, British former minister and European commissioner, said that the bill to trigger Article 50 could be defeated in the House of Lords if the parliament was not granted a "meaningful" vote at the end of the negotiations and if the rights of EU-27 citizens wishing to remain in the UK were not protected.

Similar amendments that were tabled during the approval process in the House of Commons were rejected. While the House of Lords is relatively weak in the UK’s constitution, it is still respected for its less partisan analysis and ability to challenge the government on the substance of its proposals. It also brings together a wide range of experts from both business and civil society.

The House of Lords has written a number of reports pointing out the many challenges ahead. The reports range from environmental questions to future trade arrangements.

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Background

The European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill started its journey through the House of Lords on 8 February, with the first reading – a formal process by which the title of the bill is read out in the chamber. Second reading, the opportunity for members to debate the key purpose and principles of the bill, is scheduled to take place today and tomorrow and is the first chance for open debate in the Lords.

Following the second reading stage, the bill moves onto the committee stage. This is the first chance to amend and is scheduled for 27 February.

The committee stage allows a line by line scrutiny of the bill and the first amending stage in the House of Lords.

Wednesday 1 March : Committee stage day two.

Tuesday 7 March: Report stage and third reading. The report stage is a further chance to examine the bill and make changes. Third reading is a chance to 'tidy up' the bill. Normally, the third reading is at least three sitting days after the report stage. It is unusual in the House of Lords for these separate stages to be taken on the same day.

If the bill is amended it will have to go back to the House of Commons (the lower chamber) for approval, which could lead to a delay in the alleged 9 March deadline. Prime Minister May was aiming to officially trigger Article 50 on the first day of the European Council.

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