Lords defeat EU Withdrawal Bill as peers vote in favour of customs union amendment

The vote marked the government's first defeat in the Lords over the bill.
Chloe Chaplain18 April 2018
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The House of Lords has defeated the government's Brexit bill after peers voted in favour of a customs union amendment.

The vote on the EU (Withdrawal) Bill marked the government's first defeat in the Lords over ongoing Brexit plans.

Peers, from all parties, voted by 348 to 225 in favour of proposals requiring ministers to report on the possibility of negotiating a continued customs union between the EU and the UK.

This will mean ministers will have to report what efforts they had made to secure a customs union by the end of October.

The House of Lords passed the legislation after 20 hours of debate
PA Wire/PA Images

John Kerr, who proposed the amendment, says it's an attempt to "limit the damage" of leaving Britain's biggest market.

His comments were met by criticism from pro-Brexit peers, who agreed with Viscount (Matthew) Ridley who described it as "an attempt to wreck this bill and wreck Brexit" - a charge denied by those proposing the amendment.

The government minister in the Lords, Lord (Martin) Callanan said ministers could not support the amendment because they did not believe that a customs union was in Britain's best interest, suggesting it would seek to reverse the changes.

A spokeswoman for the Brexit ministry expressed disappointment over the amendment, but assured the public that it would not detract for their commitment to leave the EU.

But the strength of the opposition for the bill suggested that this could be the first of several amendments called for by the Lords, where the government does not have a majority.

It will now go back to the Commons to be decided on by MPs.

Both houses must agree on the final wording of the bill before it becomes law.

Brexit: Theresa May, pictured during PMQs today, has ruled out staying in the customs union 
AFP/Getty Images

Theresa May previously ruled out staying in the customs union, saying that the UK will forge its own trade deals after leaving the EU.

In response to the defeat, the Department for Exiting the EU specified that the result "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."

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