British Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn has tabled a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Theresa May over her handling of the Brexit deal vote.
Reports started to emerge this afternoon that the party would introduce the procedure if no firm date was set for the meaningful vote on Brexit plans, which had originally been due to take place on 11 December.
After Mrs May announced at 3.30pm that the vote would take place in the week beginning 14 January, Downing Street was forced to deny claims that it had made a late change under Labour pressure as "sadly incorrect".
A source said a copy of Mrs May's statement was sent to the opposition at 3pm, "give or take", under the terms of an existing agreement, which contained the "already-agreed decision" to hold the vote in the second week after Parliament returned from the Christmas recess.
The source insisted the statement was not sent late to Labour, adding: "It was a copy of the statement drafted well in advance of that briefing (on the confidence motion) from the Leader of the Opposition's office becoming public, and the statement that was sent to him reflected an already-drafted and already-agreed decision."
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Mr Corbyn, in his initial response to Mrs May's statement, claimed she had "been dragged kicking and screaming to announce a date to restart the debate" and did not table the motion.
At 5.17pm he tweeted similar sentiments along with a video of their Commons exchange, but around 35 minutes later he was back on his feet to announce the motion would be tabled after all.
He told MPs that "it's bad, unacceptable, that we should be waiting almost a month before we have a meaningful vote on the crucial issue facing the future of this country" and that a vote should be held this week.
It is unacceptable for the country to wait another month before Parliament has the chance to vote on Theresa May's botched deal.
— Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) December 17, 2018
Therefore I have tabled a motion of no confidence in the PM this evening, so Parliament can take back control. #NoConfidence pic.twitter.com/IRXeaScpZm
Meanwhile, opposition parties have tabled an amendment to Mr Corbyn's no-confidence vote that they say would beef it up into a full confidence vote in the government.
The SNP, Liberal Democrats, Plaid Cymru and the Green Party have backed the change.
The SNP's Ian Blackford MP, who signed the amendment, said: "It is clear the Prime Minister's tactic has been to run down the clock and deprive Parliament of any alternative to her deal.
"Jeremy Corbyn seems happy to let her - presumably to avoid having to make a decision on a second EU referendum.
"This is not acceptable - people deserve better.
"If Labour are serious about wanting a general election, they must accept our amendment."
May appeals to MPs over Brexit deal
The debate on Mrs May's Brexit deal will return to parliament in the week beginning 7 January and the "meaningful vote" will take place the following week, Mrs May told the House of Commons.
She said other Brexit options would require passing the existing withdrawal agreement, and she appealed to MPs to find a way to come together to see Brexit through.
"I know this is not everyone's perfect deal. It is a compromise. But if we let the perfect be the enemy of the good, we risk leaving the EU with no deal."
Mrs May stressed that the government had prepared for a no-deal Brexit and "tomorrow the cabinet will be discussing the next phase in ensuring we are ready for that scenario".
Mr Corbyn said Mrs May achieved nothing at the EU summit and a responsible prime minister would have put this deal before parliament this week.
Mr Corbyn said it is a constitutional crisis and the prime minister is the architect of it.
He accused Mrs May of leading Britain into a "national crisis" over Brexit, as he warned her deal has lost cabinet support.
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Mrs May is pressing on with her deal to leave the European Union, despite hardening opposition to it.
She has rejected calls for a second referendum or to test support for different Brexit options in parliament.
After a tumultuous week in which she survived a confidence vote and sought last-minute changes to a Brexit agreement reached with Brussels last month, Mrs May faces deadlock over her deal in the British parliament.
With the EU offering little in the way of concessions to win over, an increasing number of politicians are calling for a second referendum - something some of her ministers say could be avoided if the government tested Brexit scenarios in parliamentary votes.
Parliament is deeply divided, with factions pressing for different options for future ties, exiting without a deal or remaining in the EU.
Mrs May and her ministers have repeatedly ruled out a replay of the referendum, saying it would deepen rifts and betray voters who backed Brexit in 2016.
That increases the risk of Britain leaving without a deal on 29 March, a scenario some businesses fear would be catastrophic for the world's fifth largest economy.
Meanwhile, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said the UK can take a no-deal scenario off the table at any time by revoking Article 50 or by seeking an extension.
He said he is not asking the UK to do that or pressuring them but merely stating a fact.
Mr Varadkar said he could not speak for the EU27 but he expected if the alternative was Britain crashing out of the EU in March, then the EU would grant an extension.
He also said reports that relations with the UK were being handled by Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney were not true and lines of communication between himself and Mrs May personally and his office and Downing Street are kept open.
