THE future of the House of Lords could be in doubt as peers are “playing with fire” by trying to thwart Brexit, Jacob Rees-Mogg has warned.
The Conservative MP, leader of the influential European Research Group of Conservatives, said it was now a case of the “peers against the people” after the Government’s Brexit legislation suffered a series of defeats in the upper chamber.
READ MORE: Think tank says Brexit could be end of Barnett Formula
His comments came after a petition calling for a referendum on abolishing the House of Lords passed the 100,000 signature mark, which could trigger a debate in Parliament.
Rees-Mogg, speaking in Parliament at an event organised by the Open Europe think tank, said peers “have to decide whether they love ermine or the EU more”.
In a series of forthright interventions, Rees-Mogg said giving preferential immigration treatment to EU citizens after Brexit would be a “racist” policy.
READ MORE: First Minister rejects Tory Brexit deal as Labour 'sell Wales down river'
He also described Theresa May’s approach to Brexit as “enigmatic” and labelled the Government’s proposal for a customs partnership with the EU “completely cretinous”.
The government’s plans for Brexit have been dealt a series of blows in the Lords, with peers inflicting a massive defeat on the issue of leaving the customs union.
Rees-Mogg claimed that peers were breaching the convention that the Lords should not prevent a government implementing commitments made in its manifesto.
READ MORE: Spike in number of EU nurses leaving UK after Brexit result
And he said the Prime Minister had made it “absolutely clear” that she would not accept remaining in a customs union after Brexit.
The government is expected to try to overturn the amendment in the Commons and Rees-Mogg warned would-be Tory rebels: “I don’t think it’s fine for people to tell their voters they are standing to leave the customs union and then not to do that.”
In a message to the peers he accused of seeking to “thwart” the referendum result, Rees-Mogg said: “It’s striking that 100,000 people can sign a petition so quickly.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here