On 10 December 2018, the House of Lords adjourned the debate it was holding on the withdrawal agreement and political declaration agreed by the Government and the EU during the Brexit negotiations. This Lords Library briefing summarises recent developments which may influence when the Lords has the opportunity to debate this matter again.
Adjournment of the House of Lords Debate on the Withdrawal Agreement and Political Declaration (311KB PDF)
On 10 December 2018, the House of Lords adjourned the debate it was holding on the withdrawal agreement and political declaration agreed by the Government and the EU during the Brexit negotiations. This debate was being held to fulfil the requirements on the House of Lords under section 13 of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018, which sets out certain steps that must be taken before the UK would be able to ratify the withdrawal agreement. The Lords adjourned its debate when the Government decided not to go ahead with a planned vote on the withdrawal agreement and political declaration in the House of Commons—what has become known as the ‘meaningful vote’. This briefing summarises recent developments which may influence when the Lords has the opportunity to debate this matter again. It does not cover what might happen were the Commons to decide not to approve the withdrawal agreement and political declaration in a rescheduled ‘meaningful vote’.
Adjournment of the House of Lords Debate on the Withdrawal Agreement and Political Declaration (311KB PDF)
The House of Lords (Alternative Second Chamber Bill) [HL] is a private member’s bill introduced by Baroness Smith of Llanfaes (Plaid Cymru). It would require the secretary of state to carry out a consultation regarding proposals for replacing the House of Lords with an alternative second chamber. The bill specifies whom the secretary of state would be required to consult with and the timeframe of that consultation.
![House of Lords (Alternative Second Chamber) Bill [HL]: HL Bill 11 of 2026–27](https://lordslibrary-parliament.studio24.dev/content/uploads/sites/2/2020/09/House-of-Lords-568x426.png)
The bill is a government bill that would make a range of changes to the legal framework concerning elections, including extending the franchise for UK parliamentary elections and other reserved elections to 16- and 17-year-olds. The bill was amended during both its committee and report stages in the House of Commons, with many of the government’s later amendments implementing recommendations from the Rycroft review on countering foreign financial influence and interference in UK politics.
Social media and other technologies have made it easier, quicker and cheaper for foreign powers to spread false information online aimed at undermining UK democracy. Such disinformation campaigns are one type of interference operation. In parallel, researchers have noted a link between declining public trust and societal polarisation, which can be exacerbated by online discourse. This briefing provides introductory reading to these issues, including recent reports and government announcements.
