Breakthrough in the House of Lords means bill to stop no-deal Brexit likely to pass

Anti-Brexit protesters in Westminster. Photograph: Jonathan Brady/PA. - Credit: PA Wire/PA Images

The law designed to delay Brexit has cleared another hurdle after the government announced a late-night breakthrough in the Lords.

There were fears the bill could have been stalled in the Lords, with Labour peer and leading lawyer Baroness Kennedy of The Shaws accusing Tory peer Lord True, who had submitted a raft of amendments to the motion, of time-wasting.

The Lords sat until 1.30am on Thursday when chief whip Lord Ashton of Hyde said all stages of the bill will be completed by 5pm on Friday.

“We have also received a commitment from the chief whip in the House of Commons that Commons consideration of any Lords amendments will take place on Monday and it is the government’s intention that the bill be ready for royal assent,” he told peers.

The Labour leader had said the Bill must be passed through the Lords and have received royal assent before he would entertain the thought of heading to the polls.

He said: “Let the bill pass and have Royal Assent and then we can have a general election.”