I did not support any of these amendments. Leaving the EU means leaving the single market and the customs union. These are the main and essential elements of the Union. The UK will be free to make its own trade deals after its withdrawal from the EU but it will also need to put in place new customs arrangements. Remaining a full member of the customs union would mean we could not make our own trade deals. The Government and the EU have said explicitly that there must not be a hard border on the island of Ireland. 

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