Theresa May faces first Brexit bill defeat

Prime Minister Theresa May suffered her first parliamentary defeat over Brexit after the House of Lords voted in favour of an amendment to guarantee the rights of EU citizens in the UK after the country leaves the bloc.The Lords voted on Thursday 358 to 256 for an amendment requiring ministers to protect the rights of EU nationals based in the UK following Brexit.

In the House of Lords, May’s Conservative Party does not command a majority. The amendment backed by the Lords requires the government to introduce proposals within three months of Article 50 to ensure EU citizens in the UK have the same residence rights after Brexit. However, the government’s defeat in the Lords could prove a symbolic one as MPs can remove the amendment when it comes back to the House of Commons.