Will they stop it?

Today at around 3.30 the House of Lords will launch into the Third Reading of the European Union (Amendment) Bill. Before they can debate the substantive motion (to give this Bill a third reading) they will have to debate and amendment that is down in Lord Howell's name:

Lord Howell of Guildford to move, as an amendment to the motion that this bill be now read a third time, leave out from "that" to end and insert, "notwithstanding the normal practice of the House, this bill be read a third time no earlier than Monday 20 October 2008 to allow—

(a) Parliament to consider the most appropriate response to the changed circumstances and uncertainties caused by the rejection of the Lisbon Treaty in the Irish referendum; and

(b) any amendments to the bill made necessary by those changed circumstances to be considered in detail by the House, if necessary on recommitment."

Though the desired result is to abandon the debate and the Bill altogether, calling for the suspension of the debate till October (that is the last few days of this session) may well be a better strategy. We shall see.

COMMENT THREAD