U.K. leaders defeat pro-EU lawmakers on Brexit, for now

May gets a win, but faces obstacles

LONDON — British lawmakers rejected proposals by pro-European Union politicians Wednesday that were intended to lock the U.K. into the bloc’s customs union and single market after Brexit.

The results were a victory for Prime Minister Theresa May’s Conservative government, which is determined to take the country out of the EU next year. But Ms. May’s fragile minority administration faces more bumps ahead as it tries to forge an exit route while being buffeted by both sides of Britain’s debate about Europe.

The House of Commons voted by a wide margin against a call to join the European Economic Area — a club that includes the EU nations and Norway — after Conservative and opposition Labour leaderships opposed it.

Lawmakers also rejected, much more narrowly, calls to keep the U.K. in a customs union with the EU.

The votes came after two days of bruising debate on the government’s key piece of Brexit legislation — the European Union Withdrawal Bill, intended to disentangle Britain from the 28-nation bloc after four decades of membership. In a series of votes the House of Commons largely reversed changes inserted by Parliament’s upper House of Lords that would have softened the terms of Brexit.

But it is likely only a temporary reprieve. Many lawmakers said it seemed likely that Britain would have to remain in a customs union with the EU, even though the government insists it will leave. The government says leaving the customs union will free the country to strike trade deals around the world. But many businesses fear it will mean tariffs or other barriers for British goods in Europe.

It also threatens the currently invisible border between the U.K.’s Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, an EU member. The withdrawal bill promises the border will stay open and there will be no “physical infrastructure, including border posts, or checks and controls.” But the British government has not said how that can be achieved if the U.K. and the EU have different customs rules.

Pro-EU Conservative Heidi Allen said it was inevitable “we will have to come to a customs union agreement,” even if it was given another label.

“Partnership, love dance —don’t care what you call it, that’s what we will need to avoid any border to Northern Ireland,” she said.

The government was forced to give ground to pro-EU lawmakers in one key area, promising that Parliament would get more say over the U.K.-EU divorce deal.

Many pro-EU lawmakers want Parliament to be able to send the government back to the negotiating table if they don’t like the terms of the deal, or if talks with the blocbreak down.

Pro-Brexit lawmakers worry Parliament could use that power to delay Britain’s departure, or stop it altogether.