Thirteen Labour MPs vote for talks on joining EU customs union

Thirteen Labour MPs have backed a Liberal Democrat bill requiring the government to begin negotiations on joining a bespoke customs union with the EU.

Labour’s manifesto ruled out re-joining the existing EU custom union and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has recently said such a move was “not currently our policy”.

The vote on the bill was tied, with 100 MPs voting each way leaving Deputy Speaker Caroline Nokes to cast the deciding vote. She told MPs she would back the bill “in order to allow for further debate”.

Although the bill has progressed, it is highly unlikely to become law unless it receives government support.

It is the first time a vote has been tied in the House of Commons since 2019, when MPs voted on alternative plans for Brexit.

The UK left the customs union – which eases trade barriers by allowing the member states to charge the same taxes on goods – after the country voted for Brexit.

The government has been trying to build a closer relationship with the EU including through deals on food standards rules, electricity trading and visas for young people.

Speaking in Parliament, the Liberal Democrats’ Europe spokesperson Al Pinkerton told MPs his customs union bill would “cut red tape, unlock investment and restore certainty to British business”.