'Time to abolish undemocratic House of Lords' Anger as Peers CRUSH Brexit

THE House of Lords is an “undemocratic, unelected, elitist” organisation which should be abolished, in the wake of the Chamber’s decision to back an amendment which could force PM Theresa May to allow Parliament to set the terms of Brexit, a Tory MP has declared.

By Ciaran McGrath

PUBLISHED: 18:30, Mon, Apr 30, 2018 | UPDATED: 22:47, Mon, Apr 30, 2018

Daniel Kawczynski Getty/ Chris McAndrew / UK Parliament

Tory MP Daniel Kawczynski called for the Lords to be abolished

This is rapidly moving towards a major constitution crisis of unprecedented magnitude

Daniel Kawczynski MP

The Lords backed an amendment tabled by Lord Hailsham setting the House on a collision course with the Government after handing Theresa May a damaging defect which could force the Prime Minister to allow Parliament to set the terms of Brexit.

Daniel Kawczynski made his remarks after peers backed an amendment tabled by Lord Hailsham designed to give Parliament the power to set the Government’s future course on Brexit if it ends up rejecting any deal agreed by Theresa May later this year.

He said: “This is rapidly moving towards a major constitution crisis of unprecedented magnitude.

“In my lifetime I cannot think of anything like it.”

The Shrewsbury MP said he remained hopeful “sensible voices” in Commons would prevail, meaning the amendment would not become law, but said the episode highlighted the problems inherent in having an unelected Upper House.

He said: “The House of Lords is a elitist chamber which is trying to block the will of the people.

“The time has come for us to start talking about the abolition of the House of Lords and I will start agitating for this.

“The 90 Liberal Democrat peers are completely determined – this is a highly undemocratic effort to neuter Brexit.

House of Lords GETTY

The House of Lords is Britain's unelected Upper House

“If that happens nobody will trust a referendum again.

“And if we have the House of Lords deciding things like this, we start to look like a banana republic.”

A total of 335 Lords backed the amendment while 244 voted against it.

Unlike the Commons, the House of Lords is made up of appointed rather than elected representatives.

They have the power to amend, but not block legislation.

In 1999, the House of Lords Act abolished the automatic right of hereditary peers to sit in the Chamber.