SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford last night branded the actions of some Labour MPs as “unforgivable” after they brought down a move to stop the next prime minister taking Britain out of the EU without a deal.

MPs opposed to a no-deal Brexit were once again attempting to seize control of parliamentary business. But a cross-party motion that would have given MPs control of the business of the House on June 25 was defeated by 11 votes as some Labour MPs voted against and others abstained. The motion was lost 309-298, with eight Labour MPs voting against and 17 abstaining.

Blackford tweeted: “We lost the motion today that would have created the circumstances to stop no deal by 11 votes. All 35 SNP MPs voted for the motion but only 222 Labour MPs supported it. 8 voted against, 17 abstained. Unforgivable. Little wonder Labour are an irrelevance in Scotland.”

The vote came after Tory leadership frontrunner Boris Johnson warned that MPs would “reap the whirlwind” if they tried to thwart Britain’s withdrawal from the EU.

Despite the motion being killed off by their own MPs, Labour sources said the party would try to find other routes to block a no deal.

“This is a disappointing, narrow defeat. But this is just the start, not the end of our efforts to block no deal,” said shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer. “Labour stand ready to use whatever mechanism it can to protect jobs, the economy and communities from the disastrous consequences of a no-deal Brexit.

“Any Tory leadership candidate should know that Parliament will continue to fight against no deal.”

The motion was supported by the SNP, Liberal Democrats, Greens and Plaid Cymru as well as the Tory former minister Sir Oliver Letwin.

Earlier, Johnson said during his leadership launch speech that MPs will face “mortal retribution” from the electorate if they try to stop Brexit. The former foreign secretary presented himself as the one candidate among the contenders bidding to succeed Theresa May who could stop Jeremy Corbyn seizing the keys to Number 10.

At a packed launch event in London, he said it was essential that Parliament now delivered on the 2016 referendum vote and that Britain left the EU, without a deal, on October 31. Johnson said: “I think maturity and a sense of duty will prevail. I think it will be very difficult for friends in Parliament to obstruct the will of the people and simply to block Brexit. I think if we now block it, collectively as parliamentarians we will reap the whirlwind and we will face mortal retribution from the electorate.”

Johnson insisted he wanted a “sensible, orderly” departure from the EU but said the country had to be ready for a no-deal Brexit, arguing that was “the best way to avoid” crashing out.

He said: “It is only responsible to prepare vigorously and seriously for no-deal. The best way to avoid that is to prepare for it and be absolutely clear to our friends and partners that we are prepared to do that.”

Johnson warned that failure to deliver on the referendum result would create an “existential threat” for both Labour and the Conservatives. He said: “Around the country there is a mood of disillusion, even despair, at our inability to get things done. After three years and two missed deadlines we must leave the EU on October 31.”