Internal Government divisions over Brexit were laid bare on Sunday morning as the Home Secretary and the Housing Minister appeared to contradict each other in separate TV interviews.
Home secretary Amber Rudd said the UK would seek membership of "something within the customs framework" of the EU following its departure from the EU in a BBC interview with Andrew Marr.
Meanwhile, just minutes later, housing minister Dominic Raab told Sky News' Paterson on Sunday that Britain would not remain "in any form of customs union".
Ms Rudd said: "We published a document last year and we proposed either a customs arrangement or a customs partnership. Those are both alternatives we could look at.
“We do not want to have tariffs at the border, so that is a form of customs agreement, arrangement [or] partnership. It is likely to be something within the customs framework.
“If you set up trade barriers, there is a consequence to a trading nation. I am very enthusiastic for making sure we have as few trade barriers as possible."
Meanwhile, Mr Raab said: “I don’t think we’ll be in any form of customs union, at least as conceived in international trade practice.
“Because if we were we would have our hands tied in negotiating free trade deals with other parts of the world, whether it’s Brazil, whether it’s China or India.
Thousands of anti-Brexit activists march to Parliament in protest
"The Prime Minister has been very clear we want to be able to grasp those opportunities.”
The news comes as reports emerged that Brexiteers are lining up a "dream team" to replace Theresa May in case she tries to keep Britain in the customs union with the EU.
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Tory MPs would have Boris Johnson as their prime minister, Michael Gove as his deputy, and Jacob Rees-Mogg as Chancellor, according to the Sunday Times.
Boris Johnson was said to have told one plotter he was "ready" to be PM and warned the "cavalry is coming", despite also encouraging them to "rally round" the PM.
The news came ahead of ministerial crunch talks, scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, in which Mrs May risks the rebellion of her Brexiteer MPs.
