Sign up here to receive the daily news briefing in your inbox every morning with exclusive insight from the BrexitCentral team Lords inflict new Brexit defeat on Government over human rights charter The government’s key EU Withdrawal Bill has suffered another defeat in the House of Lords – this time over the issue of human rights. Peers voted by 316 to 245 in favour of a proposal to keep the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights in force after Brexit. Ministers said remaining in the charter would be a “constitutional outrage”. The defeat will now be considered by the House of Commons, where it may be overturned by MPs. The charter, which is separate to the European Convention on Human Rights, sets out a range of civil, political and social rights for EU citizens. Some campaigners have warned that leaving it will weaken human rights protections. But government minister Lord Keen said the charter only applies when directly implementing EU law, and “after Brexit we will not be a member state and will not be directly implementing law”. Continuing the application of a foreign body of law would be “the greatest constitutional outrage since 1689”, he added. – BBC News Fresh Brexit blow from rebel Tory peers – The Times (£) Betraying Brexit voters is playing with fire – Melanie Phillips for The Times (£) > On BrexitCentral today: Running tally of how the House of Lords voted on amendments to the EU Withdrawal Bill at Report Stage Theresa May may dare Tory anti-Brexit rebels to vote against her and risk collapse of the Government… Theresa May is considering daring her own MPs to vote against her on Brexit and potentially risk bringing down the Government in a crunch Commons showdown next month. The Prime Minister will reportedly turn a bid by Tory rebels to keep the UK in a customs union with the European Union into an effective vote of confidence in the Government. If Mrs May was to lose such a vote it would raise serious questions about whether she could remain in post. – Telegraph (£) May urged to confront pro-EU MP rebels with Commons vote – The Sun Theresa May won’t quit over customs union defeat, say No 10 aides – The Times (£) Theresa May rejects calls for confidence vote on customs union – FT (£) Brexit and customs union: A matter of confidence? – Laura Kuenssberg for BBC News …as more voices tell her to ditch the customs partnership “turkey”… Tory MPs and Cabinet ministers are telling Theresa May to ditch her ‘customs partnership’ fudge, with government sources claiming even Jeremy Heywood thinks it is a “turkey“. David Davis has been lobbying against Number 10’s so-called hybrid model, in which the UK would collect import tariffs on behalf of Brussels, continue to follow the Common Commercial Policy, stay in the single market for goods and effectively throw away our ability to strike new trade deals. There is a split among May’s top civil servants – this model is the brainchild of Olly Robbins yet Heywood reportedly thinks it is over-complicated and unworkable. – Guido Fawkes Theresa May faces Cabinet split over customs deal – Telegraph (£) Who is making the case for leaving the customs union? – Matthew Lynn for The Spectator Theresa May cannot assume her ministers will swallow a customs union – Asa Bennett for the Telegraph (£) Could Theresa May really survive a customs union climbdown? – Katy Balls for The Spectator The Tories can still avoid the customs union bear traps – William Hague for the Telegraph (£) Swiss border shows free movement works perfectly well without customs union – Dan Hannan for The Sun If Theresa May caves on the customs union, the consequences will be stark – Michael Fabricant for the Telegraph (£) The Moggcast. “Completely idiotic” customs partnership idea “should be knocked on the head” – ConservativeHome Why Brexiters Are Worried – Guido Fawkes The moment of truth for Tory rebels has come and Theresa May must confront them – The Sun says > Austin Mitchell on BrexitCentral today: Forcing us to stay in a customs union would tie us down to a bum deal before we even start negotiating …and Brussels admits its Ireland border plan is flawed European Union negotiators have admitted that their controversial “backstop” plan to prevent a hard border in Ireland after Brexit will not work and could undermine the single market. In a confidential diplomatic note seen by The Times, the European Commission and other EU negotiators expressed fears that because the plan covers only customs checks on goods entering Northern Ireland from Britain, the province could still become a lucrative loophole in the single market. This could allow Northern Ireland to become a hub for businesses wanting to bypass EU rules, with no border checks to stop them exporting goods and services to the Continent. – The Times (£) > LISTEN: BrexitCentral’s Hugh Bennett talks to Iain Dale on LBC about the Customs Union and the Irish border Brussels will insist on ECJ oversight in Brexit treaty, says Barnier The European Union will insist that the Brexit agreement includes the European Court of Justice providing permanent judicial oversight over future EU-U.K. relations, its chief Brexit negotiator said Monday. “We need an agreement on governance and the role of the Court of Justice,” Michel Barnier said in a speech at a reception held by the German engineering association VDMA at the Hannover Messe. “Without an agreement on governance, there is no credibility of this treaty for stakeholders, for business,” he added. – Politico EU budget hawks under attack The EU’s tightfisted paymasters are on the ropes. Brussels’ big battle over money begins in earnest next week when Commissioner Günther Oettinger unveils his proposal for the EU’s next long-term budget. EU officials are bracing for a long struggle that will split the bloc in all sorts of ways — payers vs. recipients, east vs. west, north vs. south. But wealthy net-payer countries who oppose any increase in budget contributions — Austria, Denmark, the Netherlands and Sweden — are already on the defensive, their ranks thinned and their muscle sharply diminished. Britain, their ally and traditional leader, no longer has skin in the game. – Politico EU budget ‘litmus test’ for post-Brexit EU – Politico William Hague: The Tories can still avoid the customs union bear traps – and prevent Corbyn from coming to power Unless the Conservatives find a disciplined and collective way through this, these problems will feed on each other. The prospect of Government defeats in parliament will embolden EU negotiators to take a harder line; no solution to the Irish border acceptable to the UK will be agreed; a majority of the Commons might then vote for a Customs Union; many pro-Brexit Tories would say they cannot abide by that; and the conduct of the negotiations and credible government becomes almost or actually impossible. It’s a grim but plausible scenario. – William Hague for the Telegraph (£) Without a seat at the table, customs union membership is worthless – Juliet Samuel for the Telegraph (£) Matthew Lynn: Who is making the case for leaving the customs union? The ultra-remainers see the customs union as a back door to staying inside [the EU]. They lost the referendum, and they lost the argument over the Single Market. But if they can win over trade and tariffs we will stay closely linked to the EU after we leave. The result? Industrial lobbyists and Remainers have formed a natural and powerful alliance. To resist that, Leavers need to champion their case. They need to make the argument that we will see lower prices in the shops, which essentially means a rise in living standards for everyone. They need to make the argument that we can design our own trade policy, and set our own regulations. It is a credible and convincing position, especially as most of the opposition is little more than disguised protectionism. But if it is not made soon, the case will be lost – and one of the greatest potential prizes of leaving the EU squandered. – Matthew Lynn for The Spectator Andrew Green: We need to see the Government’s planned post-Brexit immigration framework The Conservatives seem to be having a nervous breakdown over immigration as, yet again, the race card is being played with the clear intention of closing down the debate on immigration. As for the Windrush affair, it was certainly a serious mistake in the execution of a policy designed to reduce illegal overstaying rather than to reduce immigration, but the row led to the Home Secretary attacking her own staff in unprecedented and, frankly, indefensible terms. – Lord Green of Deddington for ConservativeHome Comment in Brief Macron-Trump bromance blossoms as the sun sets on Special Relationship – Dennis Lennox for The Spectator The UK must help end Turkish Cypriot isolation – Alp Mehmet for Reaction Jurgen Klopp warning on Brexit division underplays success of Reformation and US independence – Iain Martin for Reaction A figleaf swept away in the torrent of BBC anti-Brexit bias – David Keighley for ConservativeWoman Vote Leave was, for many, an inspirational process – Mark Wallace for iNews Trade wars – John Redwood’s Diary News in Brief Rolls-Royce mulls European move – Telegraph (£) Liverpool’s Jürgen Klopp: Brexit ‘makes no sense at all’ – Guardian ‘Make Brexit day a bank holiday!’ – Farage wants annual celebration of victory – Express Daniel Hannan slaps down BBC host over suggestions UK should remain in customs union – Express A simple guide to the customs union and its impact on Brexit – Telegraph (£)