Lord Heseltine opened the debate in the House of Lords with a defence of parliament as “the ultimate custodian of our national sovereignty” Getty ImagesThe Conservative grandee Lord Heseltine warned Theresa May today that the pro-European “fightback starts here” as he signalled his intention to defy the government over its Article 50 bill. Opening the debate in the House of Lords on a Labour amendment to give parliament a “meaningful say” on the outcome of EU negotiations, the former deputy prime minister described leaving the EU as the most “momentous peacetime decision of our time”. He added that he would be supporting the amendment as it would secure into law the commitment “that parliament is the ultimate custodian of our national sovereignty”. “We are not here to refight the referendum campaign and there is a clear mandate to trigger Article 50,” he said. “But I do not accept that…

Source: The Times March 07, 2017 16:52 UTC