A bad day for Theresa May…
The UK government has suffered its 15th defeat in the House of Lords over the EU Withdrawal Bill.
The House of Lords voted today to set up a body to maintain the EU’s standards on environmental protection when the UK leaves the union.
Earlier, Prime Minister Theresa May warned members of the Conservative party that voting against the party line would risk damaging the integrity of British politics, but that didn’t stop the amendment passing by 294 to 244.
Supporters of the amendment said it will ensure continued environmental protection and as well as helping to establish a powerful watchdog with responsibility for ensuring regulations are enforced.
The move was instigated over fears that the environmental principals of EU law would not be transferred over into UK law after the withdrawal was complete.
It was also revealed that Theresa May’s government plan to publish a white paper ahead of June’s EU summit in Brussels.
A white paper is a government report giving information or proposals on an issue.
The paper is expected to outline the government’s position on future relations with the EU, and is expected to hold the proposal for the UK’s plan on the border issue in Ireland.
Brexit minister David Davis told the cabinet on Tuesday that the document will be the most significant publication on UK relations with the EU since the 2016 referendum. We all know how that one turned out.
LISTEN: You Must Be Jokin’ with Aideen McQueen – Faith healers, Coolock craic and Gigging as Gaeilge
