House of Lords
Parliament

Lord Grocott turns to the opponents of the bill who, last year, were able to talk out the bill meaning it could not become law.

"They couldn't win by votes," he says "so they won by tricks."

He makes a plea to those who may try to block this bill: "Think again. You do neither you or the house's reputation any good at all,"

House of Lords
Parliament

Image source, HoL

Labour's Lord Grocott opens his speech with an explanation of the process for electing hereditary peers.

Specifically he draws attention to the fact that one by-election to replace a Lib Dem peer had seven candidates and an electorate of three peers.

"Try explaining that nonsense to the public," he says "their jaws would hit the floor."

House of Lords
Parliament

First up to be debated is Lord Grocott's House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) (Abolition of By-Elections) Bill.

The bill would amend the House of Lords Act 1999 to remove the system of by-elections used to replace hereditary peers.

Currently a vacancy caused by the death, resignation or expulsion of a hereditary peer is filled by a by-election.

The bill would prevent any future vacancy among the 92 hereditary peers from being filled by this process.

Instead, such vacancies would lapse, and the departing hereditary peer would not be replaced.

Lord Grocott tried to pass a similar bill last year but it ran out of time after being talked out by the bill’s opponents.

House of Lords
Parliament

Image source, PA

Good morning and welcome to our coverage of Parliament.

Today is Private Members’ Bills day in the House of Lords. This gives backbench peers the chance to bring forward their own pieces of legislation.

The bills due to be debated today are:

• House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) (Abolition of By-Elections) Bill
• Age of Criminal Responsibility Bill
• Modern Slavery (Victim Support) Bill

The first debate begins at 10am.

The letter warns the UK government not to stay in the single market after March 2019.

Labour says the bill is a "power grab" - but David Davis accuses them of "cynical" blocking tactics.

Michel Barnier says Northern Ireland cannot be a "test case" for future customs arrangements.

That's where we have to leave our live text coverage of Parliament, following a day on which:

• Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom announced select committees will resume their duties next week
• The Foreign Office promised assistance to those hit by Hurricane Irma in the Caribbean
• David Davis accused Labour of a "cynical and unprincipled" attempt to block the EU Withdrawal Bill
• Shadow Brexit Secretary Keir Starmer branded the bill a "huge power grab" by ministers.

House of Commons
Parliament

The debate is scheduled to finish at 5pm - and so second reading of the EU Withdrawal Bill is adjourned until Monday, when MPs will continue their debate and hold votes.

BBC Politics

The day after triggering Brexit, the government published details of its "Great Repeal Bill". Described by Theresa May as an "essential step" on the way to leaving the EU, it aims to ensure European law will no longer apply in the UK.

It is now being introduced to Parliament, with the formal title of the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill. Here's how it will work:

Read more here.

House of Commons
Parliament

Conservative Craig Tracey says his impression of speaking to voters has been "disillusionment with what the EU has become".

He says that while there were worries about immigration, "the overriding concern was around sovereignty" and ensuring the UK has control over its own laws.

He calls for consultation on statutory instruments which will mean the bill provides "a smooth pathway" to Brexit.

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Labour's Chuka Umunna makes the point that Brexit supporters talked about taking back control for Parliament and yet "it's funny how silent they are when it comes to upholding that argument now".

He, like others, objects to "extraordinary powers" he believes are contained in the bill.

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Conservative Anna Soubry argues it's "folly" to oppose the bill at second reading, but observes the "many concerns on these benches" about the boost to executive power are justified.

"We can find other mechanisms to achieve that, and to scrutinise properly," she says of the use of delegated powers.

"If people tell you we are thwarting the will of the people, they are telling you lies."

House of Commons
Parliament

Did MPs' commitment to parliamentary scrutiny have an expiry date of 23 June 2016? asks Lib Dem Brexit spokesperson Tom Brake.

He argues that the bill "makes a mockery" of the Leave campaign's rallying cry - "take back control of our laws".

He urges the government to "give the people a meaningful vote on the final deal" with the option to stay in the EU if they do not like the deal reached by the government.

The World at One
BBC Radio 4

The House of Commons is debating the bill to take Britain out of the European Union.

The Brexit secretary David Davis said the bill provides certainty, continuity and a smooth and orderly exit.

Labour peer Baroness Taylor chairs the House of Lords Constitution Committee. She told Radio 4's World at One that many MP's and Peers will vote against the bill because they believe the way it is written makes scrutiny more difficult, not less difficult, and it gives the government an enormous amount of potential power.

House of Commons
Parliament

Conservative former attorney general Dominic Grieve says he will vote for the bill at second reading, but it is "a stunning monstrosity of a bill" and he will vote against at report stage without improvements.

He puts forward his view that there are safeguards in EU law that need to be retained.

He echoes earlier concerns about delegated powers, saying there needs to be a system for separating technical matters from substantial ones.

And he calls for extra time to be added to committee stage of the bill, if it should be needed.

House of Commons
Parliament

Conservative former Cabinet minister Owen Paterson tells the House: "If we do not get on with it [Brexit] there will be catastrophic damage to the confidence and integrity of all of us."

On objections to the bill's delegated powers, he argues that "Project Fear is morphing into Project Humbug", since the EU has sent us "hundreds" of directives "we cannot amend or reverse".