House of Lords rejects government's EU withdrawal bill - as it happened

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Theresa May sets out her vision for the future of the NHS, tax payers will pay more

The House of Lords has inflicted a further defeat on the government over its Brexit plans.

Peers voted in favour of an amendment to the EU Withdrawal that would give Parliament greater powers to block a no-deal Brexit, teeing up a Commons showdown when MPs vote on the bill on Wednesday.

Pro-EU Tory MPs have warned they are ready to vote down the government's plans for what should happen in the case of a no-deal Brexit. They want Parliament to be given more powers if no deal is agreed or if the agreement Theresa May makes with Brussels is deemed unacceptable by MPs.

Ministers, however, have insisted that Parliament should not be allowed to bind the government's hands.

Elsewhere, Theresa May delivered a major speech outlining plans to boost NHS funding. The prime minister confirmed over the weekend that spending will rise by £20bn a year by 2020 but faces questions over how this will be funded.

As it happened...

Key Points

• House of Lords debates EU Withdrawal Bill, with government set for further defeat
• Theresa May outlines plans to boost NHS spending by £20bn per year 
• Government announces review into use of medicinal cannabis

[18 June 2018 09:30 · Kristin Hugo]

Welcome to today's live coverage on another busy day in Westminster.

[18 June 2018 09:44 · Kristin Hugo]

Theresa May will give a keynote speech on the NHS later today, but there is already confusion about how the government's planned funding boost will be paid for. This morning, Jeremy Hunt, the health secretary, refused to confirm where the money would come from, saying only that the Treasury had "done its sums". 

[18 June 2018 09:59 · Kristin Hugo]

Tory MP Sir Christopher Chope caused outrage last week after blocking a bill that would have outlawed upskirting. Over the weekend his constituency office was decorated with women's underwear. The prank has now affected his Westminster office too...

[18 June 2018 10:20 · Kristin Hugo]

Jeremy Hunt has signalled his support for overturning the ban on medicinal cannabis, admitting the current law is not working. It comes after home secretary Sajid Javid intervened to grant permission for the drug to be given to Billy Caldwell, a 12-year-old with severe epilepsy. 

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/cannabis-oil-jeremy-hunt-law-change-epilepsy-treatment-home-office-review-a8404091.html  

[18 June 2018 10:45 · Kristin Hugo]

The House of Lords will vote later today on an amendment, tabled by Lord Hailsham, that would give Parliament the right to vote on what happens next in the case of a no-deal Brexit. We're hearing that amendment is likely to be, well, amended. 

Lord Hailsham is expected to table a watered-down version of the original text. The new motion would enshrine the compromise deal Tory rebels believed they had agreed with the government last week, before opposition from David Davis' and otter Brexiteers scuppered that deal.

The row centres on how much power Parliament should have if Theresa May fails to make a Brexit deal with Brussels, or if the deal she does make is rejected by Parliament. Tory rebels want MPs to be able to dictate the next steps if no deal is in place by next February, but ministers have said Parliament cannot be allowed to bind the government's hands.

[18 June 2018 11:35 · Kristin Hugo]

Sir Nick Clegg has said it is "pathetic" that medicinal cannabis remains illegal. He told the Today programme:

"It is pathetic - and I saw it for myself in government - this bone-headed triumph of prejudice over evidence. The active substance in these cannabis-derived medicines is less harmful than stuff you can get across the counter from a chemist.

When I was in government, I certainly couldn’t get Theresa May and the Home Office and indeed other parts of the government to just address the evidence.

That poor mother is finding herself in this heartbreaking situation because politicians can’t separate off the issue of medicinal cannabis to help her child from their wider prejudice about drugs generally."

[18 June 2018 11:59 · Kristin Hugo]

We're expecting Theresa May's speech on the NHS to begin shortly. Stay tuned...

[18 June 2018 12:43 · Kristin Hugo]

NEW: Theresa May's spokesman has confirmed the government will bring in a bill next month to outlaw upskirting. A similar bill introduced by Liberal Democrat MP Wera Hobhouse was blocked by Tory backbencher Sir Christopher Chope last week, prompting widespread criticism - including from other Conservatives. 

[18 June 2018 12:45 · Kristin Hugo]

Theresa May is about to begin her big NHS speech...

[18 June 2018 12:51 · Kristin Hugo]

Theresa May is speaking at the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead, north London. 

She recalls visiting victims of the Manchester bombing last year, saying:

“I will never forget visiting the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital in the aftermath of the Manchester Arena attack. There, in the face of the very worst that humanity can do, I witnessed first-hand, the very best.

“Doctors and nurses working 24 hour shifts to treat the injured. Surgeons who were off-shift, dropping everything to come in and perform life-saving operations. 

“Paramedics who had risked their own lives to get others to safety. In every instance, I was struck not only by the medical expertise of the staff, but the compassion with which people were treated. This is our National Health Service.”