WESTMORLAND and Lonsdale MP Tim Farron has apologised for missing a Brexit vote on government-backed amendments to a bill in the House of Commons.

Mr Farron, along with his successor as leader of the Liberal Democrats, Vince Cable, was absent from the vote on Monday night.

The government secured a majority of just three votes on amendments to its Customs Bill, one of the elements of the UK's withdrawal from the European Union.

"I was authorised to be absent due to a pre-arranged engagement away from the Parliamentary estate," he said.

"In the end, nobody expected the vote to be as close as it was – I'd actually cancelled the engagement earlier on, but then un-cancelled because we expected Labour to abstain and the Government to win by miles.

"We clearly called it wrong, as did Labour. I take full responsibility for my part. The Tories don't deserve any luck, I'm so sorry I inadvertently granted them some."