Barry Gardiner, shadow secretary for international trade, addressing the Labour Party conference in 2016 | Christopher Furlong/Getty Images Labour will put forward no-confidence motion if May loses Brexit vote The government is widely expected to be defeated in the January 15 ballot.

The U.K. opposition Labour Party would put forward a vote of no confidence in Theresa May's government under the Fixed Terms Parliament Act if she loses the "meaningful vote" on her Brexit agreement next week, Shadow International Trade Secretary Barry Gardiner said on Wednesday.

Asked on the BBC's Today program whether Labour plans to "immediately" table the motion if the government loses the January 15 ballot, Gardiner responded: "We have said that we will bring forward a vote of no confidence in the government when they lose their vote.”

May is widely expected to lose the January 15 vote in the House of Commons.

The government on Tuesday night lost a separate vote on an amendment to the Finance Bill, which will prevent it from using some taxation powers to implement a no-deal Brexit unless it gives parliament a vote first or applies to extend Article 50. The amendment was backed by 20 of May's own Tory MPs.

Labour submitted a symbolic motion of no confidence in May after the prime minister delayed the meaningful vote by a month in December, but stopped short of wording that would have had the legal force to topple the government, as required by the Fixed Terms Parliament Act.

Asked whether he now backs a second EU referendum, as he seemed to suggest over the weekend, Gardiner said he "personally" thinks "it might be appropriate to do that" only if Labour won power in a general election and negotiated a new Brexit deal.