Sign up here to receive the daily news briefing in your inbox every morning with exclusive insight from the BrexitCentral team House of Lords defeats Government with amendment to tie ministers’ hands and prevent no-deal Brexit… Peers have voted to give Parliament a potentially decisive say over the outcome of Brexit talks. An amendment to the EU Withdrawal Bill giving MPs the power to stop the UK from leaving without a deal or to make Theresa May return to negotiations was approved by 335 votes to 244. Conservative peer Lord Hailsham said Parliament, not ministers, must “determine the future of the country”. Ministers said this risked “weakening” the UK’s hand in negotiations. But Labour said the vote marked a “hugely significant moment” in the fight to ensure Parliament has a “proper role” in the Brexit negotiations and a no-deal situation was avoided. MPs have already defeated the government once on the issue of a meaningful vote and the issue will now return to the Commons for it to be decided once and for all. The UK is due to leave the European Union on 29 March 2019. – BBC News Pro-EU peers vote to allow MPs to stop us leaving with no deal – The Sun Can May’s Brexit stance survive its latest Lords defeat? – Tom Goodenough for The Spectator > On BrexitCentral today: How the House of Lords voted on amendments to the EU Withdrawal Bill at Report Stage > Christopher Howarth on BrexitCentral: How Viscount Hailsham’s amendment to the EU Withdrawal Bill could let peers block Brexit > Watch on BrexitCentral’s YouTube Channel: Brexit Minister disappointed that Lords voted for amendment … as peers hit out at “agenda” behind the wrecking amendment A Green Party peer has hit out at the “agenda” of members of the House of Lords pushing for an amendment that will allow parliament to have a say in the final Brexit deal. Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb criticised peers that supported the amendment having originally said that she planned to vote for it.The speeches in favour of them have turned me against the amendment. There is clearly more of an agenda than just allowing more of the people’s will, more of the people’s say, and allowing more parliamentary control of the process so I personally will not vote for this amendment now,” she said. Crossbench peer Lord Blimoria had said that the amendment would give parliament “the ability to stop the train crash that is Brexit”. – City A.M. Tory expenses scandal peer ‘Lord Moat’ tries to sabotage Brexit negotiations – The Sun Lord Moat: Brexit Only an Interim Decision – Guido Fawkes May’s tactics recall Hitler, says peer as Brexit bill suffers ninth defeat – The Times (£) Peers ‘trying to stop Brexit’ with fresh Government defeat – Sky News Heal the nation, abolish the House of Lords – Graeme Archer for CapX Tying our hands as we battle Brussels is an act of mutinous lunacy by anti-Brexit peers – Marcus Fysh MP for the Telegraph (£) > Watch on BrexitCentral’s YouTube Channel: House of Lords EU Withdrawal Bill Day 4 highlights Theresa May reportedly considering agreement with Brussels that Brexiteers fear would be ‘EU Mark II’ Theresa May is considering signing up Britain to a catch-all agreement with Brussels that Brexiteers fear will amount to “EU Mark II”. Mrs May has told ministers that the UK could “potentially” accept an association agreement with the EU, which critics say would make Britain a “rule taker” from Europe. Philip Hammond, the Chancellor, and David Davis, the Brexit Secretary, are also open to the idea, which was first raised at a meeting of the Cabinet’s Brexit sub-committee last week. Mr Hammond said it would “save time” to sign up to something the EU is already familiar with, while Mr Davis also said such an arrangement could work. Mrs May, meanwhile, suggested an association agreement could be used as a “box” to containing the different strands of the Brexit deal. – Telegraph (£) Sajid Javid, Britain’s first Asian Home Secretary, believes there is ‘nothing racist about managed migration’… Sajid Javid, Britain’s first Asian Home Secretary, has previously said that there is “nothing racist about managed migration”. Mr Javid, the comprehensive-educated son of a Pakistani bus driver who hails Margaret Thatcher as his political role model, has been a strong supporter of the Government’s crackdown on illegal immigration. However he has also been clear that he was furious about the treatment of Windrush migrants, telling The Sunday Telegraph at the weekend: “I thought that could be my mum … my dad … my uncle … it could be me. – Telegraph (£) Sajid Javid to end hostile era for illegal immigrants – The Times (£) From the son of a Pakistani bus conductor to one of the Great Offices of State – the rise and rise of Sajid Javid – The Sun Javid. Muslim, Brexit adaptee, comeback kid – and not a May protege. Her Home Office era is over. – Paul Goodman for ConservativeHome Sajid Javid has the chance to fashion a new political settlement on immigration, by taking back control – William Hague for the Telegraph (£) Sajid Javid should build an immigration policy fit for post-Brexit Britain – Christian May for City A.M. Sajid Javid’s unique chance to build a better immigration system – Oliver Wiseman for CapX …while some suggest ex-Home Secretary Amber Rudd may oppose Brexit from the backbenches Amber Rudd will become a voluble advocate on the backbenches for keeping Britain closely tied to the European Union after Brexit. The former Home Secretary resigned last night after days of damaging headlines about Home Office targets for dealing with illegal immigration. One friend said she would use the freedom to speak on the backbenches to fight against a so-called ‘hard’ Brexit in the House of Commons. – Telegraph (£) Will Amber Rudd join the pro-EU awkward squad? – The Sun Remoan revival threat to No10 as Amber Rudd is hailed leader of Tory anti-Brexiteers – Trevor Kavanagh for The Sun Michel Barnier ‘not an honest broker’ in Brexit negotiations, says DUP leader Arlene Foster… Michel Barnier is “not an honest broker” in the Brexit negotiations, Arlene Foster has alleged as she challenged the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator over his handling of the Irish border issue. The leader of the DUP claimed that Mr Barnier “does not understand” the history of Northern Ireland and its unionist culture just hours before he was due to speak at an all-Ireland conference on Brexit. It comes days after her party, which is engaged in a confidence and supply arrangement with the Government, vowed to bring Mrs May down if she crossed the “red line” on the border issue. – Telegraph (£) Barnier tells Arlene Foster his door is “always open” – City A.M. …as Barnier calls for border checks after Brexit… Michel Barnier has denied trying to split up the United Kingdom after strongly backing plans that would create a new border between Britain and Northern Ireland after Brexit. In an inflammatory address in Dundalk, Ireland on Monday, Mr Barnier denied there was a secret EU plan to pressure Britain into reversing Brexit by insisting on a backstop clause that would keep Northern Ireland in the EU’s Single Market and Customs Union. – Telegraph (£) The EU’s Chief Brexit Negotiator Michel Barnier on Monday demanded a “clear, operational solution for Ireland and Northern Ireland,” and said he would not attempt to broker the U.K.’s internal disagreements about Brexit. “Let me recall my role is to negotiate on behalf of the EU27,” Barnier said, in an apparent reference to reports of deepening rancor within U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May’s government over maintaining a customs union with the EU. “I have no intention of mediating between the different positions of Brexit [in the U.K. government],” Barnier said. – Politico EU’s Barnier says rapid progress on Irish border needed by June – Reuters Brexit talks ‘at risk’ from Irish border issue – Barnier – Sky News Chief Eurocrat Michel Barnier forced to deny that he is hatching secret plot to hive off Northern Ireland from the rest of UK – The Sun …and warns of no Brexit deal without border “backstop” here can be no Brexit withdrawal agreement without a “backstop” option for the Irish border, the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator has said. Michel Barnier said the Republic of Ireland has the full support of all EU member states and all EU institutions. The backstop would involve NI, or the UK as a whole, aligning with the EU rules required to support North-South cooperation and an all-island economy. Mr Barnier was speaking at the start of a two-day visit to Ireland. The UK has accepted the need for a backstop to be written into the Brexit withdrawal agreement. – BBC News Labour should bear in mind what a senior member of the Irish government told me about Brexit – Chuka Umunna for the Independent Taoiseach accused of bad manners over visit to Northern Ireland Leo Varadkar has been accused of “poor manners” by a unionist MP for failing to follow protocol before a visit to Northern Ireland.The taoiseach visited the North yesterday with Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, who was accused by Arlene Foster, the DUP leader, of not understanding unionist culture. In response, Mr Barnier said: “My door is open.” Jeffrey Donaldson, a DUP MP, said: “Leo Varadkar’s visit is another demonstration of the poor manners and disrespect which appears to be the Irish government’s Brexit strategy. “Having told unionists just over a month ago that he recognised statements and actions by the Irish government were unhelpful or intrusive, he follows this up with a visit which no local representative is informed about and none of the other normal protocol is followed. – The Times (£) The naive Leo Varadkar is being manipulated by the wily Michel Barnier – Ruth Dudley Edwards for the Telegraph (£) Donald Trump delays steel tariff decision for UK and other allies until June British manufacturers have won a temporary reprieve on 25 percent tariffs being added to steel exported to the United States after the White House announced on Monday night that it was postponing a decision to impose duties on key trading partners for 30 days, avoiding a trade war with Europe Mr Trump imposed the hike, along with a 10 percent tariff on aluminum, in March but granted temporary exemptions to Canada, Mexico, Brazil, the European Union, Australia and Argentina. Those temporary exemptions were due to expire at midnight on Monday, prompting last-minute negotiations. – Telegraph (£) Brexiteer in huge row with Remainer over Britain’s future in customs union Brexiteer Jonathan Isaby shut down political expert Nina Schick after she suggested British voters did not know Brexit would see Britain leave the European Union’s single market or customs union. Brexiteer Jonathan Isaby clashed with political expert Nina Schick as they exchanged views on the progression of Brexit talks. The Brexit Central author shut down Ms Schick after she suggested Britons did not know leaving the European Union would see the UK leave the customs union and the single market. – Express > Watch on BrexitCentral’s YouTube Channel: Isaby clashes with Remainer on All Out Politics Bernard Jenkin: The ‘new customs partnership’ idea should be dead in the water – it is the opposite of taking back control Here are five tests which must apply to any customs arrangement which the Government negotiates with the EU: Will the UK have regulatory autonomy so that it can fully execute an independent trade policy? Will the UK be able to sign meaningful free trade agreements which are compliant with WTO rules? Will the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice over the UK be brought to an end? Will substantial UK contributions to the EU budget be brought to an end? Will the UK be able to improve its own regulatory environment and lower tariffs in any area of its choosing? If the Government adopts the so-called ‘new customs partnership’ (NCP), I am afraid the answer to each of these questions is “No”. – Bernard Jenkin MP for ConservativeHome No more delays, Prime Minister – it is time to make a decision on customs – Henry Newman for ConservativeHome Jacob Rees-Mogg: President Trump will be our greatest ally after Brexit It is our national good fortune that the president with whom we will develop this new arrangement is Mr Trump. His election depended upon similar factors to those that led to Brexit. He appealed to voters left behind by the metropolitan elite and he exudes confidence about his own nation and a determination not to be a manager of decline, which also inspires the Brexiteers. This has had an important effect on American foreign policy which had consistently supported Britain’s engagement with the European Union from the days of the Coal and Steel Community in the 1950s. Former President Obama’s rude and counterproductive intervention in the referendum debate, telling us to get to the back of the queue, was an undiplomatic reminder of how the US saw its position. – Jacob Rees-Mogg MP for The Times (£) Andrew Pierce: Why on earth is a lifelong Europhile our top Brussels negotiator? Never far from Theresa May’s side at an EU summit – but always a few, respectful steps behind – is the unmistakable figure of her Europe adviser Olly Robbins. Towering above everyone else at 6ft 3in, and with an intellect to match, the Government’s top Brexit negotiator is a genuine heavyweight in face to face talks with his EU counterparts. Fiercely loyal to the Prime Minister, he has on more than one occasion been left holding her handbag during walkabouts at EU gatherings. But Brexiteers have always been suspicious that this particular mandarin serves not one master but two. Now they are convinced of it in the face of his determination to ‘fudge’ Britain’s exit – as voted for by 17.4million people – from the customs union with plans for a customs partnership. Robbins has been an ardent disciple of closer political and monetary union with the EU since he was at Oxford. He was horrified by the referendum result. – Andrew Pierce for the Daily Mail Ruth Dudley Edwards: The naive Leo Varadkar is being manipulated by the wily Michel Barnier Have my Irish compatriots forgotten how the EU once treated Greece? Another week, another bromance, this time between Michel Barnier, the EU’s Brexit negotiator, and the Irish prime minister Leo Varadkar. The cynical Brussels game of suckering Ireland by weaponising its border with Northern Ireland in the war against a secessionist upstart is gathering pace. – Ruth Dudley Edwards for the Telegraph (£) Comment in Brief Don’t listen to Remainers – EU Fisheries Policy has been a failure – Fishing for Leave on Campaign for an Independent Britain Our monthly survey is out. What should May’s Brexit customs policy be? Who’s to blame for Home Office fiascos? Plus: the Lords’ future. – ConservativeHome Why Gibraltar is a rock solid investment, despite Brexit woes – Evgeny Cherepakhov for City A.M. British voters are much tougher on immigration than the Tories – Alastair Benn for Reaction EU’s Juncker celebrates Marxist totalitarianism – Daniel J. Mitchell for The Commentator Migration remains a top concern in Hungary and across Europe – Anna Nadibaidze for Open Europe Is Brexit a human rights emergency? The UN seems to think so – Ross Clark for The Spectator News in Brief EU’s climate efforts risk stalling thanks to Brexit – Politico UK recruiters report fall in hiring from EU27 – City A.M. NHS chiefs sound alarm about Brexit impact on health workforce – Politico Parliament should not be able to overturn EU referendum: PM spokesman – Reuters UK faces ‘binary choice’ of EU or US trade, MPs warn – Telegraph