Remain rebel peers are 'confident' of passing amendments
Remain supporting peers have revealed they are confident they can amend the historic Brexit Bill and hold up handing Theresa May Article 50 powers.
The new laws are due to be considered by peers for the first time on Monday at the start of detailed scrutiny a fortnight after the Bill was agreed by a landslide in the Commons.
Amendments on the rights of EU citizens currently living in Britain after Brexit and the timing of Parliamentary votes on Brexit deal are expected to be the focus of any rebellion.
Other proposals down for debate include the Liberal Democrat plan for a second referendum.
Defeat for the Government would not derail the new laws but would force the Bill to be returned to the Commons for further debate - almost certainly meaning a delay to it becoming law.
Liberal Democrat Lord Newby, who leads the party in the House of Lords, has defended the right of peers to make changes to the Brexit law
The new laws are due to be considered by peers for the first time on Monday at the start of detailed scrutiny (file picture)
Lib Dem leader in the Lords Dick Newby told the Guardian Labour peers had 'nothing to lose' by joining his party in the lobbies.
He said: 'There are a lot of members of the group for whom Europe is the big thing that has motivated them in politics.'
He added: 'What's the point? If you're 65 and a Labour peer and been pro-European all your life, why just sit on your hands?'
Labour has vowed not to provoke any long delays to the legislation but has tabled eight amendments of its own for the committee stage of the Bill.
Ministers would be confident of overturning any defeats in what is known as Parliamentary 'ping pong' - triggered when the Commons and Lords disagree on amendments to legislation.
Brexit Secretary David Davis appeared to accept the likelihood of ping pong on a visit to Sweden yesterday when he played down the chances of Mrs May invoking Article 50 at the EU summit on March 9.
The Prime Minister has vowed to invoke Article 50 before the end of March but delays to the legislation look likely to stop her doing so at the EU summit on March 9
This is the text of the Bill at the heart of the 'hand to hand combat' in parliament - sparked by the Supreme Court's ruling that Theresa May cannot use executive powers to invoke Brexit
The Prime Minister has vowed to do so before the end of March and she is thought to be determined to do so before a landmark EU summit in Italy on March 25 marking the 60th Anniversary of the Treaty of Rome.
On Sunday, Tory peer Lord Lamont branded the amendments an attempt to place 'conditions' on Theresa May's Brexit talks.
He told Sky News's Sophy Ridge on Sunday: 'I hope the amendments will be roundly defeated in the House of Lords and I think they are playing with fire if they want the House of Lords to survive.
'I don't think it will deserve to survive if they wreck this Bill.'
He added: 'So there is no excuse for this. Amending a Bill of two clauses and 150 words is really I think a little ridiculous – they are not really amendments, they are trying to attach conditions to the negotiations.'