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According to German-based website N24 Welt, the British government now accepts the UK must leave the EU Customs Union just weeks after the Prime Minister Theresa May set out plans to negotiate a special deal within it.

In response to a question by “Die Welt” about the British position, Lord Price, Minister of State at the Department for International Trade, said he did not expect to find a compromise.

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The government's strategy for Brexit will face scrutiny from politicians and the public for the first time when a white paper is published later.

The paper, which comes after MPs voted to allow the PM to begin the Brexit process, will outline Downing Street's negotiating aims for leaving the EU.

MPs backed the European Union Bill by 498 votes to 114 on Wednesday night, with 47 Labour rebels voting against.

The bill will now face more debate before it can become law.

MPs will discuss the bill in more detail next week when it reaches the committee stage in the Commons, and Labour has vowed to force through amendments.

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As this historic day for the UK nears its end, here’s a round-up of events: 

• The government's bill to trigger Article 50 to start negotiating the UK's way out of the EU gets MPs' backing by 498 votes to 114
• The SNP, Plaid Cymru and the Liberal Democrats opposed the bill, alongside 47 rebel Labour MPs and lone Tory rebel, ex-Chancellor Ken Clarke
• Shadow cabinet members Rachael Maskell and Dawn Butler quit Labour's frontbench shortly before the vote
• Thirteen other Labour frontbenchers voted against their own party position - but there's been no word yet on their likely fate

• The bill now faces further scrutiny in the Commons and the House of Lords before it can become law

Image source, PA

Chris Bryant is Labour MP for Rhondda - a constituency which voted leave - but he voted against the bill. 

He says he has received support from many people but is aware of the possible consequences.

"There are lots of people who will be very, very angry with me and I will take that on the chin," he tells the BBC's World Tonight.

"And, as I said in the chamber, Edmund Burke - who made this same argument many, many years ago to the people of Bristol, he was thrown out at the next general election.

"And I did what I did today, knowing that that is a possibility - that the people of the Rhondda may decide that this is the only issue that they care about, and that they want to get rid of me. I know that people may want to take revenge."

The only Conservative noe-sayer - Ken Clarke - tells BBC News: "I think most people who know me at all would have been absolutely startled if I'd cast a vote in favour of Britain leaving the European Union, when for 50 years I've been arguing the other way, and I was actually around when we first joined. 

"It's been a great success. It benefited [us] enormously politically. Our role in the world, until now, depends on our being one of the leading influential countries in the European Union."

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Ken Clarke, the former chancellor who had appealed to his colleagues to vote with their "consciences", was the sole Conservative MP to vote against the bill.

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A Conservative Party spokesman said: "Forty seven Labour MPs voting against the Article 50 Bill shows Labour can't speak for themselves, let alone speak for the country. 

"They're hopelessly divided and can't even agree whether they should back the bill to implement the decision taken by the public to leave the EU. 

"What we do know is that they aren't interested in controlling our own laws or immigration and are completely out of touch with ordinary working people."

A quick correction to the 9.15 PM entry, listing the Labour frontbenchers who rebelled.

It should have included shadow housing minister Ruth Cadbury.

Karen Buck, who was named, did rebel but is not (yet) on the frontbench.

Ten Labour junior shadow ministers and three whips, who are supposed to enforce party discipline, voted against triggering Article 50 in revolt against Jeremy Corbyn. 

The frontbenchers were shadow sport minister Rosena Allin-Khan, shadow culture minister Kevin Brennan, shadow police minister Lyn Brown, shadow housing minister Karen Buck, shadow crime minister Rupa Huq, shadow Northern Ireland minister Stephen Pound, shadow housing minister Andy Slaughter, shadow Foreign Office minister Catherine West, shadow energy minister Alan Whitehead and shadow transport minister Daniel Zeichner. 

The whips were Thangam Debbonaire, Vicky Foxcroft and Jeff Smith.

A majority of Welsh MPs vote in favour of a bill which will allow ministers to trigger Article 50.

ITV News deputy political editor tweets:

  Whitehall correspondent for the Sun adds:

A spokesperson for Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn makes no mention of the fate of the party's rebels, saying: "Labour MPs voted more than three to one in favour of triggering Article 50. 

"Now the battle of the week ahead is to shape Brexit negotiations to put jobs, living standards and accountability centre stage. 

"Labour's amendments are the real agenda. The challenge is for MPs of all parties to ensure the best deal for Britain, and that doesn't mean giving Theresa May a free hand to turn Britain into a bargain basement tax haven."

BBC political correspondent tweets:

And the Sun's Westminster correspondent says: