Theresa May will not hold a parliamentary vote on Brexit before opening negotiations to formally trigger Britain's withdrawal from the European Union, The Telegraph has learned.

Opponents of Brexit claim that because the EU referendum result is advisory it must be approved by a vote in the Commons before Article 50 - the formal mechanism to leave the EU - is triggered.

However, in a move which will cheer Eurosceptics, The Telegraph has learned that Mrs May will invoke Article 50 without a vote in Parliament

It had been suggested - by Tony Blair, the former Labour Prime Minister, and Owen Smith, the Labour leadership candidate, among others - that Remain-supporting MPs could use a Parliamentary vote to stop Brexit.