Soft-Brexit Lawmakers Fight for Customs Union in Commons Battle
- Lawmakers from Labour and Tory parties table amendment
- Customs union membership is the latest Brexit battleground
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A group of pro-European lawmakers are using the tools of Parliament to try to force Prime Minister Theresa May to maintain trade ties with Europe after Brexit, a move that will delight business but stoke further division within May’s Conservative Party.
Former Chancellor of the Exchequer Ken Clarke and former Business Minister Anna Soubry have proposed an amendment that would oblige May to try to keep the U.K. in the European Union’s customs union after Brexit. The pair are Conservatives with a track record of rebelling against the government and are backed by Labour lawmakers including Chuka Umunna and Chris Leslie.