Jacob Rees-Mogg today warned peers they are ‘playing with fire’ over Brexit and could ‘burn down their house’ if they defy the referendum.
The Brexit ringleader’s threat came as MPs are set to debate the future of the House of Lords after more than 100,000 people signed a petition demanding a referendum on abolition.
The symbolic debate will come amid mounting anger at peers’ re-writing crucial Brexit laws.
The Lords defeated the Government for a third time on the flagship European Union (Withdrawal) Bill last night and more bruising defeats are expected by ministers.
Brexit cheerleader Jacob Rees-Mogg today warned peers not to interfere in Brexit.
He said: ‘It is the peers against the people…. Their lordships at playing with fire and if will be a shame to burn down their House.’
Jacob Rees-Mogg warns peers they are ‘playing with fire’ over Brexit and could ‘burn down their house’ if they defy the referendum
MPs are set to debate the future of the House of Lords after more than 100,000 people signed a petition demanding a referendum on abolition
The petition demanding a referendum on abolishing the House of Lords has been signed by more than 104,000 people meaning a Commons debate is likely
Brexiteer MPs have led calls for the Lords to be abolished, claiming the un-elected House is seeking to frustrate the Brexit referendum.
A committee of MPs will schedule a debate on the petition after it passed 100,000 signatures today.
It read: ‘The House of Lords is a place of patronage where unelected and unaccountable individuals hold a disproportionate amount of influence and power which can be used to frustrate the elected representatives of the people.’
Tory MPs have lined up to demand change since the Lords inflicted the first defeat on Brexit laws last week.
Former Cabinet minister Owen Paterson tweeted: ‘The House of Lords is harming the British national interest by interfering in crucial trade negotiations.’
After a landslide vote in defiance of policy on the customs union, Grandee Sir Edward Leigh blasted: ‘Absurd for the Lords to require government to report on staying in the customs union’
Tory Nadine Dorries warned: ‘The Lords have just messed up once too often.
Former Cabinet minister Owen Paterson tweeted: ‘The House of Lords is harming the British national interest by interfering in crucial trade negotiations.’
After a landslide vote in defiance of policy on the customs union, Grandee Sir Edward Leigh blasted: ‘Absurd for the Lords to require government to report on staying in the customs union – it has been ruled out as an option.
‘Unelected peers voting against the people to keep us as half-in-half-out colony of the EU. Nein danke!’
Tory Nadine Dorries warned: ‘The Lords have just messed up once too often.
‘I for one will be lobbying for a bill to massively reduce the Lords in size, for positions to be elected on fixed terms equal to Parliament and for powers to be reduced.’