LORDS WANT TO STOP EU EXIT
Fury as unelected peers plot to force a second referendum
A PLOT in the House of Lords to block Brexit sparked anger last night.
The plan involving “several dozen” peers was revealed by Tory Baroness Wheatcroft.
She says a cross-party group could delay or halt the Article 50 process of freeing Britain from Brussels rule by forcing another EU vote. Ukip’s Steven Woolfe said: “It would be wholly wrong for unelected peers to stand in the way of the will of the people.”
And he warned: “It would plunge our democracy into a constitutional crisis.” The Daily Express can reveal that former Labour leader Lord Kinnock has joined the Brexit blockers. He receives a generous EU pension as a former European Commissioner.
Senior Labour peer Lord Foulkes said the plot “has legs” and confirmed that
Lord Kinnock and the former Labour leader in the Lords, Baroness Royall, are actively involved.
Leave campaigners pointed out that 17.4 million people voted for Brexit in the June referendum.
Ukip’s Mr Woolfe, the favourite to succeed Nigel Farage as leader, insisted: “Brexit must mean Brexit. No backsliding, no blocking, no Brexit-lite.”
Tory MP Peter Bone, founder of the Grassroots Out movement, said: “I don’t think anyone in Parliament would be wise to oppose the wishes of the British people.
“Both sides of the argument accepted the referendum would be the final decision.
“If anyone tries to block the will of the British people it would be undemocratic, doing a great disservice to the country and turning themselves into a laughing stock.”
A fellow Brexit campaigner, Wycombe MP Steve Baker, said: “It would be wholly wrong for unelected peers to block the democratic will of the people.”
Lisa Duffy, another Ukip leadership contender, warned that outrage at blocking Brexit would bring about an end to the House of Lords.
She said: “All too often in recent times we have seen appointments made to the House of Lords based on patronage, favours and the Prime Minister’s old boys’ club.
“This is no way for the second chamber of the mother of parliaments to be abused.
“If the current Lords believe that they are in a position to overturn a democratic referendum in which 17.4 million people voted to leave the EU, then the House of Lords days are most certainly numbered.”
There have been concerns that a political elite will try to ignore the referendum result or water it down.
Labour MP David Lammy has urged MPs to ignore the result.
A legal challenge due to be heard in the autumn is designed to force the Government to give MPs and peers a vote on Article 50. If successful, they would have a veto because ministers could not trigger Article 50 without Parliament’s approval.
Prime Minister Theresa May has insisted “Brexit means Brexit” but said she wants to take her time.
In a recent online poll, 98 per cent of Daily Express readers backed a plan by former Cabinet Minister John Redwood for Britain to simply repeal the 1972 European Communities Act and leave the EU in a matter of weeks.
Baroness Wheatcroft said it was “imperative that we don’t press the button on Article 50”. The former editor in chief of the Wall Street Journal Europe said that she hoped delays in the Lords of any potential Brexit legislation would lead to a second referendum.
She said: “If it comes to a Bill, I think the Lords might delay things. I think there’s a majority in the Lords for remaining.” Asked if she would support peers delaying Brexit legislation, she said: “Yes I would. And I hope, while we delayed things, there would be sufficient movement in the EU to justify putting it to the electorate through a general election or a second referendum.”
Lord Foulkes added: “There is a substantial majority of people in the Lords against Brexit.”