Theresa May has gone down to defeat in the House of Commons over her Brexit plans, as MPs voted for continued UK involvement in the EU’s regulatory system for medicines.

The vote, by a margin of 305-301, came amid desperate Government efforts to fend off defeat on a second amendment to its flagship Trade Bill, which would require her to try to keep Britain in a customs union with the EU after Brexit.

The Government’s defeat on medicines regulation is believed to have been secured by a substantial rebellion by pro-EU Tories.

MPs voted by 305-301 to defeat the Government over the European Medicines Agency (www.parliamentlive.tv)

Their amendment requires the Government to make it a negotiating objective in talks with the EU to secure continued UK participation in the EU medicines regulatory network partnership involving the European Medicines Agency.