Lords rebels win customs union vote

PEERS have been accused of “playing with fire” and trying to block Brexit after they inflicted a crushing defeat on the Government in an attempt to keep the UK in a customs union with the European Union.

Remain-backing lords succeeded in amending the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill to force ministers to set out the steps taken during negotiations with Brussels to enable the UK to stay in a customs union with the bloc.

Peers backed the amendment by 348 votes to 225, with 24 Conservatives, including Lord Heseltine, the former deputy prime minister, and Lord Lansley, the former health secretary, rebelling against the Government.

But ministers dismissed the defeat as “meaningless” and said the amendment would not change their plans.

They believe the amendment could be disregarded because being in a customs union after Brexit is not government policy. Therefore ministers could simply state that no such steps had been taken.

A spokesman for the Department for Exiting the European Union said: “This amendment does not commit the UK to remaining in a customs union with the EU, it requires us to make a statement in Parliament explaining the steps we’ve taken.

“Our policy on this subject is very clear. We are leaving the customs union and will establish a new and ambitious customs arrangement with the EU while forging new trade relationships with our partners around the world.”

It came after one Cabinet minister told Mailonline the Government would be able to “live with” the amendment on the grounds it would not stop Mrs May from pursuing her Brexit policy.

The Government will now consider whether to try to remove the amendment from the Bill when it returns to the House of Commons.

Ministers have ruled out striking a customs union deal with the EU because it would restrict Britain’s ability to do trade deals after Brexit.

Leave-backing peers warned against accepting the amendment. Lord Forsyth of Drumlean, the Conservative former Cabinet minister, said: “What is going on here is an exercise by Remainers in the House who refuse to accept the verdict of the British people and I believe they are playing with fire.”

The Government suffered a second defeat as peers voted 314 to 217 in favour of an amendment to strengthen protection of employment rights and environmental standards post-brexit. ♦ David Cameron has said he does not regret his decision to hold the EU referendum and that people were entitled to make up their own minds.

In his first major interview since standing down, Mr Cameron told CNN: “I obviously believe that I was right to hold a referendum. I wanted to fix it inside the European Union. The British public chose that we would fix it from outside the European Union.”