David Lidington speaks during the "Rome 2015 MED, Mediterranean dialogues" forum in Rome, Italy, December 10, 2015. REUTERS/Remo Casilli

LONDON (Reuters) - The successful passage of British legislation to start Brexit talks through the lower house of parliament is a “pretty powerful message” to the upper house which will consider the bill, the leader of the House of Commons said on Sunday.

In an interview with the BBC’s The Andrew Marr Show, David Lidington said the House of Lords, or upper house, had a role in debating the legislation that gives the government the right to trigger Article 50 of the EU’s Lisbon Treaty and start talks.

“The fact that the exit bill, the Article 50 bill, has gone to the House of Lords with a majority of more than 300 from the House of Commons and unamended ... is a pretty powerful message to the lords,” he said.