Labour peer says he 'hangs his head in shame' over Brexit because Jeremy Corbyn did not secure a Remain vote

Labour peers lined up to criticise Jeremy Corbyn over Brexit as it emerged that more than 20 Labour members of the House of Lords are set to defy him in the House of Lords.

Former advisers to Tony Blair and Ed Miliband who now sit in the House of Lords attacked Mr Corbyn for not doing more to frustrate Labour MPs in the House of Commons.

As many as 20 Labour peers are now expected to vote with the Liberal Democrats, rebel Tory peers and cross benchers to amend the EU (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill, which will trigger the start of Brexit talks once it has cleared Parliament.

The Bill was set to clear the first stage in the Lords on Tuesday night after a marathon two-day debate involving more than 180 speakers allowing amendments to be debated over the next two weeks.

Lord Liddle

The Lib Dem amendments – to be debated next week – will try to amend the Bill to force the Government to have a second referendum on the deal to leave the EU, and to force Theresa May, the Prime Minister, to keep the UK in the single market.

The amendments are not likely to succeed without large support from Crossbench peers because most Labour and Conservative peers will not back them.

Labour peers will be whipped to support other amendments to force the Government to guarantee the rights of EU nationals to remain in the UK after Brexit, and to give Parliament a ‘meaningful vote’ on the outcome of the terms of the UK exit.

These amendments are expected to be passed when peers vote on them on March 7 and March 8, forcing MPs to overturn them the following week,allowing the legislation to come into force on March 15.

Lord Liddle, a former special adviser on European matters to Tony Blair, blamed the party's "debilitation" for Britain's withdrawal from the European Union.

He said: “I hang my head in shame that the leaders of this country, and my party, were not able to win the majority for Remain last June, and it will live with me to my dying day.” 

“But let's be frank, and I do say this with terrible sadness, the debilitation of our own party contributed to Brexit. 

"We have a leader who, unlike the vast majority of Labour members including many of those who joined up in order to support him, has never been a European true believer. 

"And in the referendum he failed the key test of democratic politics, which is to cut through media cynicism and the mass of seething public discontents with a compelling and positive case for Europe which forced voters to listen. 

"And now I see no clarion call for the fight, only a three line whip in the Commons to force Labour MPs to troop through the lobbies alongside a right-wing Tory Government dancing to Iain Duncan Smith's tune." 

Labour voters and Brexit outcomes

His words were met with agreeing murmurs and a shout of "shame" from fellow Labour peers.

Lord Livermore, a former adviser to Mr Blair, said: “I have great humility about the outcome of the referendum and about the unelected nature of this House, but if we sincerely believe the course we are on will do untold damage to our country we have a duty whether elected or unelected to say so, to oppose it and to tell the truth. 

“I believe that working people's lives will be made worse by this Bill. I believe that those who voted for Brexit in the greatest numbers will be those that suffer the most from the outcome.” 

Lord Lamont, the Tory former chancellor, told colleagues in the House of Lords “you either you believe in democracy or you do not”. 

Labour seats vs voters on EU ref choices

Former cabinet secretary Lord Butler of Brockwell, a cross bench peer, also said he backed the LibDem amendment calling for the British people to be consulted again on the final Brexit deal.

Lord Kerr of Kinlochard, who helped draft the treaty hich allows the UK to leave the EU, said it was not irrevocable and Parliament could invite the Government or the country to think again. 

Quoting Lord Ashdown, the former Lib Dem leader, Lord Lamont said: "When the British people have spoken you do what they command. Either you believe in democracy or you do not.

"I believe in democracy and I believe that we should proceed rapidly with this Bill without amendments."