A Commons motion to throw out the Government’s bill to trigger Article 50 has been tabled by a group of backbench Labour MPs.

Proposed by former shadow health secretary Heidi Alexander, the motion has the support of 18 backbenchers.

The motion argues the Government has not safeguarded British interests in the single market.

The Government published a two-clause bill after the Supreme Court ruled that the process to begin Brexit could not be triggered without parliamentary approval.

Mike Gapes, a Labour MP who has supported the motion, described Theresa May’s plans as “masochist madness”.

“Membership of the single market and the customs union were not on the ballot paper and leading Leave campaigners said we could be like Norway or Switzerland,” Mr Gapes told The Independent.

“But this vote will put us onto an escalator for the damaging and irreversible plan. I am not prepared to collaborate with this masochist madness.”

Supreme Court Brexit Challenge Show all 13 1 /13 Supreme Court Brexit Challenge Supreme Court Brexit Challenge People wait to enter the public gallery outside the Supreme Court ahead of the challenge against a court ruling that Theresa May's government requires parliamentary approval to start the process of leaving the European Union, in Parliament Square, central London Reuters Supreme Court Brexit Challenge Gina Miller, co-founder of investment fund SCM Private arrives at the Supreme court in London on the first day of a four-day hearing Getty Supreme Court Brexit Challenge A man waves the EU flag in front of the Supreme Court Getty Supreme Court Brexit Challenge Satirical artist Kaya Mar poses with two of his paintings in front of the Supreme Court Getty Supreme Court Brexit Challenge Pro-Europe protestors dressed as Supreme Court Justices stand outside the Supreme Court ahead of the first day of a hearing into whether Parliament's consent is required before the Brexit process can begin. The eleven Supreme Court Justices will hear the government's appeal, following the High Court's recent decision that only Parliament can trigger Article 50 Getty Supreme Court Brexit Challenge The eleven Supreme Court Justices will hear the government's appeal, following the High Court's recent decision that only Parliament can trigger Article 50 Getty Supreme Court Brexit Challenge Businesswoman Gina Miller arrives at the Supreme Court ahead of the first day of a hearing into whether Parliament's consent is required before the Brexit process can begin Getty Supreme Court Brexit Challenge Attorney General Jeremy Wright arrives at the Supreme Court in London EPA Supreme Court Brexit Challenge Protesters outside the Supreme Court in London, where the Government is appealing against a ruling that the Prime Minister must seek MPs' approval to trigger the process of taking Britain out of the European Union PA wire Supreme Court Brexit Challenge A protesters wearing a judge's wigs and robes stands outside the Supreme Court ahead of the challenge against a court ruling that Theresa May's government requires parliamentary approval to start the process of leaving the European Union, in Parliament Square, central London Reuters Supreme Court Brexit Challenge A protester holds up a placard outside the Supreme Court ahead of the challenge against a court ruling that Theresa May's government requires parliamentary approval to start the process of leaving the European Union, in Parliament Square, central London Reuters Supreme Court Brexit Challenge Pro-Europe protestors dressed as Supreme Court Justices stand outside the Supreme Court Getty Supreme Court Brexit Challenge A man waiting to enter the public gallery waves a European Union flag outside the Supreme Court ahead of the challenge against a court ruling that Theresa May's government requires parliamentary approval to start the process of leaving the European Union, in Parliament Square, central London Reuters

Ms Alexander said that although some had called her a “democracy denier”, the opposite was actually the case.

“When you have the Conservative manifesto claiming that they would ‘safeguard British interests in the single market’, when the words single market didn’t even appear on the ballot paper, and the debate which preceded the vote was so misleading, I don’t feel democracy has been very well served,” Ms Alexander told the Guardian.