KEY POINTS:
- Brexit dates
- 18-19 October: Michel Barnier's deadline for the Withdrawal Agreement to be finalised. Negotiations on future relationship can continue but this is the divorce agreement.
- October 2018 onwards: The Withdrawal Agreement is presented to and ratified by EU parliaments, the UK Parliament and European Parliament.
- January 2019: Brexit ratification deadline, to settle outstanding issues in good time for withdrawal.
- 29 March: Brexit day and proposed start of transition deal.
- 31 December 2020: Transition period ends.
- 1 January 2021: If all has gone to plan, the UK enters a new free trade deal and special treaty relationship with the European Union.
Peers have been accused of "playing with fire" and trying to block Brexit after they inflicted a crushing defeat on Theresa May's Government in a bid to keep the UK in a customs union with the European Union.
Remain-backing lords succeeded in their bid to amend the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill to force ministers to set out the steps taken during negotiations with Brussels to enable the UK to stay in a customs union with the bloc.
Peers backed the amendment by 348 votes to 225, with 24 Conservatives, including former deputy prime minister Lord Heseltine and former health secretary Lord Lansley, rebelling against the Government.
But ministers dismissed the defeat as "meaningless" and said the amendment would not change their plans, the Daily Telegraph reports.