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Theresa May walked out of the Commons this evening just after Jeremy Corbyn called for a vote of no confidence in her.

Onlookers thought that Mr Corbyn had pulled out of a Labour plan to call for a vote of no confidence in the Prime Minister over the handling of her Brexit deal.

The Labour party claimed the threat alone had been enough to make the PM name a new date for the 'meaningful vote' on her Brexit deal.

However the Labour leader was very careful with his wording.

His move is not a vote of no confidence in the Government as a whole meaning Mrs May can ignore it without allowing a debate or a vote on it.

But Labour hopes to build enough political pressure to embarrass her into it.

A spokesman said: "If she refuses, it is clear that she does not believe she retains the confidence of this House."

(Image: MARIO CRUZ/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

Late on Monday evening the SNP, Lib Dems, Plaid Cymru and Greens added an amendment to the motion as they seek to topple the Government.

But early signs are good for Number 10 with the ERG signalling their support and the DUP also saying they will not vote with Labour - despite their reservations over the Brexit backstop.

Labour sources still hope a vote will be held tomorrow.

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Mr Corbyn, in his initial response to the PM's statement, claimed she had "been dragged kicking and screaming to announce a date to restart the debate" and did not table the motion.

At 5.17pm he tweeted similar sentiments along with a video of their Commons exchange, but around 35 minutes later he was back on his feet to announce the motion would be tabled after all.

He told MPs that "it's bad, unacceptable, that we should be waiting almost a month before we have a meaningful vote on the crucial issue facing the future of this country" and that a vote should be held this week.

(Image: Getty Images)

Before the motion was tabled, Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon attacked the situation in Westminster as "woeful".

She said on Twitter: "This shambles of a government is driving the UK towards disaster, and the official opposition seems content to just stand back and watch.

"Week of Jan 14 was always likely to be the government's chosen timescale - by acceding to it, Labour is allowing them to waste another month.

"And when there are only three months left to avert disaster, that's really not excellent tactics."

(Image: AFP/Getty Images)

However, shadow chancellor John McDonnell later said Labour had won a "victory in forcing the Prime Minister to set a date for the meaningful vote".

He added: "Jeremy has taken the sense of the House of Commons which is clearly demanding a vote this week. Fair enough, we're now going for it."