Bill designed to stop no-deal expected to complete its passage through the Lords

The government has said a bill to stop a no-deal Brexit will complete its passage through the Lords on Friday.

The proposed legislation was passed by MPs on Wednesday, inflicting a defeat on Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

There were fears pro-Brexit peers could deliberately hold up the bill so it could not get royal assent before Parliament is prorogued next week.

But the Conservative chief whip in the Lords announced a breakthrough in the early hours after talks with Labour.

The peers sat until late at night, at which point Lord Ashton of Hyde made the announcement that all stages of the bill would be completed in the Lords by 17:00 BST on Friday.

He added that the Commons chief whip had also given a commitment that MPs will consider any Lords amendments on Monday and that the government intends that the “bill will be ready to be present for Royal Assent”.

Baroness Smith, Labour leader in the House of Lords, confirmed the opposition supported the move, and said she hoped there would be “no further frustrations” of the bill as it goes through all its stages on Friday.

Via BBC/Sky News/ITV

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