One of Jeremy Corbyn's closest allies was not in parliament when MP's voted to trigger Article 50 and begin the negotiations for the UK to leave the European Union.

Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott, did not cast her ballot.

A Labour source said she was "taken ill" and left Parliament at about 5pm. They did not elaborate on what was wrong with Ms Abbott.

A total of 10 Labour junior shadow ministers and three whips, who are supposed to enforce party discipline, voted against triggering Article 50 in revolt against Mr Corbyn.

The frontbenchers were shadow sport minister Rosena Allin-Khan, shadow culture minister Kevin Brennan, shadow police minister Lyn Brown, shadow housing minister Karen Buck, shadow crime minister Rupa Huq, shadow Northern Ireland minister Stephen Pound, shadow housing minister Andy Slaughter, shadow foreign office minister Catherine West, shadow energy minister Alan Whitehead and shadow transport minister Daniel Zeichner.

The whips were Thangam Debbonaire, Vicky Foxcroft and Jeff Smith.

Ms Abbott suggested last week that Labour rebels on Article 50 would escape punishment, saying there was “great sympathy” for MPs in pro-Remain constituencies.

Defending Mr Corbyn's decision to impose three-line whip to support the legislation, she said: "You have to remember how this looks to people in post-industrial Britain, former mining areas, the North, the Midlands, South Wales.

“It would look as if elites were refusing to listen to them. It would be wrong. How could MPs vote for a referendum and then turn around and say 'It went the wrong way so we are ignoring it'?”