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Theresa May is on course for a crushing Commons defeat on her Brexit deal today after a Labour MP withdrew an amendment that could have spared her the humiliation.

Hilary Benn, Labour chairman of the Brexit select committee, has withdrawn his proposal that would have killed both the Prime Minister's deal and prevented a no-deal Brexit.

It was believed that the amendment was favoured by Government whips because it would have potentially spared Mrs May from a major defeat on Tuesday and was seen by some as an "escape route".

In a series of tweets on Tuesday morning, Mr Benn confirmed he had withdrawn the amendment but said he would pursue a vote to veto a no-deal Brexit at the "earliest opportunity."

He said: "I have decided to withdraw my amendment to the Government’s Withdrawal Agreement motion today which would have rejected both the PM’s deal and leaving with no deal.

"It’s vital that we now get the clearest expression of view from the House on the Government’s deal - like many others I will vote against it - but I intend to pursue a ‘no to no deal’ vote at the earliest opportunity.

"Since I originally tabled the amendment in December, the House has voted for a no deal amendment to the Finance Bill which is a clear and very welcome indication of MPs’ opposition to no deal.

"Dominic Grieve‘s amendment and the Speaker’s ruling that a business motion can be amended are also very important and there is now a proposal for a Bill that would allow the Commons in effect to rule out a no deal Brexit by seeking an extension to Article 50 if necessary.

"All these developments mean that the House will soon have the opportunity to make it clear that it rejects no deal and so offer reassurance to the many businesses and their workers who are very anxious about the disaster that a no deal Brexit would represent.

"If the Prime Minister loses tonight the Government must reach out across the House to try and find a way forward. If this doesn’t happen, then Parliament will have to take the lead."

It comes after Mrs May's eleventh hour appeal for support for her deal apparently failed to win round critics.

On a historic day at Westminster MPs will finally deliver their verdict on the Withdrawal Agreement hammered out with Brussels on Tuesday evening.

With more than 100 Tory MPs having declared their opposition to the plan, there was speculation the Government could go down to one of the heaviest defeats of modern times.

The PM has insisted she is focused on winning the vote - telling Conservative rebels on Monday evening they risked handing the keys of No 10 to Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.

The Leader of the House Andrea Leadsom insisted Mrs May was determined to continue fighting for her agreement in the best interests of the country.

The deal suffered its first official parliamentary defeat in the House of Lords on Monday night as peers voted by 321 votes to 152 - a majority of 169 - to reject it.

Jeremy Corbyn indicated he was finally ready to table a vote of no-confidence in the Government if it loses in the Commons.

"Don't be concerned, it's coming soon," he told a meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party.

It would appear unlikely Labour can muster enough votes to force a general election, with both Tory rebels and the DUP indicating they would continue to back the Government in a confidence vote.

However Downing Street has given little indication as to how the Prime Minister intends to proceed if she is defeated.

Under the terms of an amendment passed last week, she must table a motion on her Plan B by Monday - although in practice she is unlikely to want to wait that long.

Mrs May will make her final appeal when she winds up five days of debate in the Commons before MPs head to the division lobbies.

Voting is due to begin at 7pm and could continue for around two hours, depending on how many amendments Speaker John Bercow calls before the final "meaningful vote" on the deal.