John Bercow seized control of the Brexit process from Theresa May and handed it to MPs as the Prime Minister suffered her second humiliating Commons defeat in as many days.

The Speaker ignored legal advice, and Parliamentary precedent, to allow a vote that gives Mrs May just three days to present a Plan B for Brexit if she loses the “meaningful vote” on her deal next Tuesday.

MPs voted by 308-297 for an amendment that was tabled by Tory arch-rebel Dominic Grieve and backed by 16 other Conservatives, including former ministers Sir Oliver Letwin, Justine Greening and Ken Clarke.

More worryingly for Mrs May, the result means that a vote on any Plan B presented by her will be amendable, meaning Tory rebels and Labour could effectively take Brexit out of her hands by holding a series of votes - with the Speaker’s help - to dictate what she should do next.

Labour’s shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer gave a flavour of what his party might try to force on the Prime Minister when he said it “may well be inevitable” that Article 50 will have to be extended.

Mr Bercow’s decision to allow Wednesday's vote - which ministers had thought was impossible - caused uproar on the Government benches and prompted accusations that the Speaker was trying personally to “stop Brexit”.