More than a dozen Labour MPs have backed a Liberal Democrat bill calling for the government to open talks on a new EU-UK customs union.
Supporters claimed a “historic victory” after the vote, which will increase pressure on Sir Keir Starmer to reconsider his Brexit policy.
The prime minister has reportedly rejected calls from his chief economic adviser for the UK to rejoin the customs union in an attempt to improve faltering economic growth.
Labour has also insisted it has no plans to re-enter the customs union or single market, both of which the UK exited after the vote to leave the EU.
But 13 Labour MPs voted to support the call for a customs union with the EU as the proposal was supported by MPs in the Commons.
A so-called 10-minute rule bill, tabled by the Liberal Democrat Europe spokesperson Al Pinkerton, ended in a tie of 100 votes to 100, giving the deputy speaker the casting vote. In response, deputy speaker Caroline Noakes voted “aye” to break the deadlock.
Ed Davey, the Lib Dem leader, said the symbolic vote “was a historic victory” against “the economic nightmare of the Conservatives’ broken Brexit deal”.
He added: “Across the country, people are crying out for real change and a solution to the cost-of-living crisis. A customs union with the EU is the single biggest step the government could take to grow our economy, put money back into people’s pockets and generate billions for our public services.”
With more than 400 MPs Labour should have been able to defeat the motion but appeared to abstain, although four Labour MPs did vote against.
Earlier Mr Pinkerton declared Brexit a “flop” as he urged MPs to back a customs union deal. Brexit was “economics by consolation prize and the country is paying the price”, he said.
Opposing the call Tory MP Simon Hoare, who voted Remain, told MPs he accepted the result of the referendum. He added that there were four reasons to reject the proposal. But the most important, he said, was that “the EU does not want it” and “it is an enormous arrogance” to think that they do.
Ahead of the motion, Sir Ed wrote to the prime minister accusing the government of so far “failing to take the steps necessary to begin, properly, the work of undoing the damage” of the deal secured under the Tories.
Last week, Sir Keir insisted Labour would stick to its manifesto, which included promises to strengthen the UK’s relationship with Brussels without rejoining the customs union, single market or freedom of movement.
“The position that we are taking has been clearly set out in the manifesto and then we’ve been following it,” he said.
