Theresa May stares down rebellious Lords debating Brexit bill amendments after warning them about ‘holding up’ will of the people

THERESA May insisted on staring down rebellious lords in person yesterday as some threatened to impose curbs on Brexit.

The Prime Minister stunned the upper house’s ageing members by sitting on the steps of the Queen’s throne as they began debating the bill to authorise EU exit talks.

It is the first time in 27 years that a PM has taken up the right open to any privy councillor.

Hours earlier, Mrs May issued a warning to pro-Remain lords not to hold up Britain’s EU departure.

Insisting all amendments to the 137-word bill were blocked by the Commons two weeks ago, she said: “I don’t want anybody holding up what the British people want, which is for us to deliver Brexit.”

Ministers are braced for at least two defeats on the ‘Article 50’ bill when voting begins from next week – on bids to guarantee rights for EU nationals living in Britain now and giving Parliament a veto on the final exit deal.

Tory peers are significantly outnumbered in the upper house by Labour, Lib Dems and crossbenchers.
But Labour’s Lords boss signalled a climb down yesterday to pledge not to delay the PM’s timetable to begin Brexit by the end of next month.

Baroness Smith said her peers will allow the bill to pass if MPs throw out peers’ changes to it, adding: “I don’t see any extended ping-pong on this at all. I’ll be very clear about that”.

Reinforcing Mrs May yesterday, prominent Brexit supporting MPs including Boris Johnson kept up a constant presence in the Lords last night to also eyeball peers.

Downing Street ducked questions about whether the PM’s presence was to intimidate peers out of defying her.

The PM’s official spokesman said: “She wanted to recognise the importance of the bill as it passes through the Lords”.

The last PM to sit on the throne’s steps was John Major, who came to listen to his pal Lord Waddington’s maiden speech.

Speaking in the debate, Lord Hague told peers that overturning the Brexit result would plunge Britain into “the most protracted, bitter, potentially endless conflict in British society” for over a century.

The former Tory leader also slammed ex-PM Tony Blair to brand it a “great mistake to ask people to rise up” against the EU referendum result.

But the Lib Dems’ boss Lord Newby insisted his party would push a vote on a second referendum, telling the upper house: “To sit on our hands is both unthinkable and unconscionable”.

Former Tory EU commissioner Lord Hill called on Brexit critics to “cut the PM some slack” and not undermine her negotiation with Parliament veto.

But the Lib Dems’ boss Lord Newby insisted his party would push a vote on a second referendum, telling the upper house: “To sit on our hands is both unthinkable and unconscionable”.

Former Tory EU commissioner Lord Hill called on Brexit critics to “cut the PM some slack” and not undermine her negotiation with Parliament veto.

Lord Hill told BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme: “The idea that at the end of that process of negotiation a British negotiator says ‘oh I’m terribly sorry, that deal that I’ve just offered to you and struck with you, I’m afraid that Parliament has just voted on it and changed the terms’, I don’t see how you could negotiate in good faith if we were to proceed on that basis.”

“But in the negotiation, I think we have to cut the Prime Minister and the Government some slack, and they have to be able to negotiate on our behalf in good faith.”