Philip Hammond has left open the possibility of Britain being part of a customs union with the EU after Brexit in a letter to parliament’s Treasury watchdog. Morgan, a former cabinet minister, said: “It was widely thought that being in a long-term customs union with the EU had been ruled out by the government. Show Hide Inside the EU, both Ireland and Northern Ireland (as part of the UK) are part of the single market and customs union so share the same regulations and standards. Photograph: PAThe government has for the last year maintained that the UK would leave the existing customs union, but has not ruled out negotiating membership of some kind of separate customs union arrangement. A customs union with the EU would avoid the need for border checks and help solve the problem of trade on the island of Ireland.

Source: The Guardian January 05, 2018 11:20 UTC