Will the Government’s Article 50 bill survive its big test in the Lords?

The Government is getting worried. So far, the passage of the Article 50 bill through Parliament has been relatively smooth. Tomorrow, there’s a chance that could change: peers will debate the issue of what happens to EU citizens in the UK after Brexit. This topic has been something of a political hot potato for the Government ever since Theresa May made it clear she wouldn’t guarantee the rights of the 3.3m EU citizens living in Britain to stay put. The PM’s position is that she doesn’t want to give away a useful bargaining chip, fearing that by doing so, Brits living on the continent will remain in limbo. In the face of heavy fire, this has been a position that the Government has stuck to. Now, the Home Secretary Amber Rudd has been dispatched to convince peers not to defeat the Government on this issue. In a letter to those in the Lords, she says:

‘As demonstrated by the debate on this issue in the House of Commons, there is absolutely no question of treating EU citizens with anything other than the utmost respect.