House of Lords begins debating Brexit billFebruary 20, 2017 - 13:42 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Britain's House of Lords is to begin debating a bill empowering Prime Minister Theresa May to kickstart Brexit -- a potentially tricky test given her Conservatives do not hold a majority there, AFP reports. Discussions in the unelected upper house of parliament get underway after the lower House of Commons overwhelmingly approved the draft legislation earlier this month. The bill gives May the right to trigger Article 50 of the European Union's Lisbon Treaty, the formal procedure to start negotiations on leaving the bloc. The government presented the short bill after losing a high-profile court battle in which judges ruled May must consult parliament before beginning divorce proceedings with Brussels. The legislation sailed through the Commons this month by 494 votes to 122. But the government could face greater challenges in the Lords, where only 252 of the more than 800 members are Conservatives. Peers are proposing changes to the bill that include measures to guarantee the rights of EU nationals in Britain, and defining how parliament votes on a final Brexit deal. Peter Mandelson, a peer with the opposition Labour party and former European commissioner, said there was a "strong body of opinion" on the seriousness of the two issues. But he doubted the unelected chamber -- whose members are appointees, many of them career politicians -- would seek to derail the Brexit bill entirely. "At the end of the day, the House of Commons must prevail because it is the elected chamber," Mandelson told BBC television on Sunday, February 19. "But I hope the House of Lords will not throw in the towel early." Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Ucom equips four bus stops in Ijevan with free Wi-Fi Ucom now provides free Wi-Fi coverage in smart bus stops in four communities of Ijevan. Armenia, Russia discuss life extension of Metsamor nuclear plant Issues regarding the extension of life of the 2nd power unit of the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant were discussed in Yerevan. Armenians stage more campaigns against territorial concessions to Azerbaijan Protesters blocked more roads across Armenia on Friday, April 26 in continuing attempts to scuttle territorial concessions to Azerbaijan. Czech-Armenian military cooperation discussed in Yerevan A delegation led by the Director General for the Industrial Cooperation Division of the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic visited Armenia. |