Government in heavy Brexit defeat as Lords insist on customs union

The government suffered a major defeat on its flagship Brexit legislation in the House of Lords after peers voted in favour of an amendment tying the UK to the EU customs union.

Ministers are braced for a series of damaging defeats as peers vote on changes to EU Withdrawal Bill over the next month, with the first amendment passing by a wide margin of 348 votes to 225. Several Conservative former ministers rebelled.

Crossbench peer Lord Kerr, the author of Article 50, said 0 Lord Kerr backed a customs union across the Irish border the vote was an attempt to “limit the damage” of the UK leaving its largest market.

Lord Kerr said a customs union was a “necessary condition for an open border” between Northern Ireland and the Republic. Former Scottish secretary Lord Forsyth condemned the amendment as “an attempt to create division and confusion”.

After the vote, former prime minister David Cameron said he does not regret holding the Brexit referendum, but believes Britain chose the wrong course.

In an interview with US media he said: “I don’t regret holding a referendum. I think it was the right thing to do.

Meanwhile, ministers denied SNP claims that a Supreme Court challenge to devolved legislation on Brexit is an attempt to “abolish” the Scottish Parliament.