The government's proposed changes to Sunday trading laws have been defeated in the House of Commons.
MPs voted 317 - 286 against, with 27 Conservatives rebelling and the SNP voting against the bill.
The government proposed to devolve power on Sunday trading hours to local councils, which it said were "best placed" to make such a decision in the community.
Critics argued that it would "chip away" at Sunday's special status - spending time with family and religious observance - while adding pressure on workers and businesses. A group of Conservative rebels initially sought an amendment restricting the changes to tourism areas.
Government ministers did try to prevent the rebellion before the vote by trialing the law changes in 12 areas, but it did not work.
'Major win'
The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) described the defeat as a "major win".
Mike Cherry, chief of policy at the FSB, said: "Our members have been unconvinced of the economic case for relaxing Sunday trading rules and there has been no impact assessment to support the proposals.
"The current system can be seen as a great British compromise which allows families to spend time together, employees to work if they wish to, and provides much needed support for smaller retailers within their communities."
