Remaining in a customs union would keep the whole of the UK within the EU "customs territory" for a temporary period, avoiding Northern Ireland being under a separate regime. “Arguably, the only thing that she needs is a political declaration which is convincing enough that it means that the backstop is not likely to be used,” said an EU source close to the negotiations. A second senior Brussels source added: “She could say ‘we are going for a MaxFac customs arrangements and they are going to be 'great', but it’s going to take several years. In the meantime, we will stay in the customs union’.” It came as peers were accused of causing “irreparable damage” to the House of Lords after they defeated the Government for the 15th time and attempted to bind Britain to EU rules on the environment. Tory Lords accused Remain-backing peers of tarnishing the upper chamber’s reputation by voting for another “wrecking amendment” designed to tie the UK’s hands after Brexit and prevent ministers from diverging from regulation imposed by Brussels.
The UK government is set to pen a deal that keeps it within the European Union's customs union beyond 2021, after the Brexit cabinet agreed to a "backstop" agreement to avoid a hard border in Ireland. Under the agreement, the UK will stay aligned to the customs union if post-Brexit technology is not ready in time. Pro-leave MP Jacob Rees-Mogg said the agreement makes a clear end point seem unreachable, while prime minister Theresa May claimed MPs that vote against the government on Brexit risk damaging British politics.