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LONDON (Reuters) - Britain’s trade minister said on Tuesday that unelected lawmakers in parliament’s upper House of Lords were trying to block the will of the people over Brexit.

Britain’s upper house on Monday voted to give parliament powers to block or delay a final deal on departure from the European Union, defeating Prime Minister Theresa May’s government.

“Now we have the unelected house actually trying to block the democratic will of the British people,” Trade Secretary Liam Fox told Sky. “This is a question about whether the will of the British people will be respected or not, and it must be.”

The Lords’ amendments to the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill can be overturned in the lower house, where May has a working majority with the support of a small Northern Irish party, albeit a slim one.