If it had passed, amendment would have prevented Brexit vote from going ahead

The Labour MP Hilary Benn has bowed to pressure from party colleagues and pulled his amendment to Theresa May’s Brexit deal, hours before the vote, because a victory may have masked the true scale of the prime minister’s defeat on the deal.

Government whips had suggested MPs who hoped to spare May the humiliation of a three-figure defeat on her Brexit deal should vote for the amendment submitted by Benn – which would have rejected her deal and prevented a no-deal Brexit.

Should the amendment have passed, it would have made it impossible for the vote on May’s deal itself to go ahead.

I’ve withdrawn my amendment so parliament can reject May’s failed deal | Hilary Benn Read more

Under pressure from Labour to pull the amendment rather than give May an escape route, Benn confirmed on Twitter he had withdrawn the amendment.

“I have decided to withdraw my amendment to the government’s withdrawal agreement motion today which would have rejected both the PM’s deal and leaving with no deal,” he said.

“It’s vital that we now get the clearest expression of view from the house on the government’s deal – like many others I will vote against it – but I intend to pursue a ‘no to no-deal’ vote at the earliest opportunity.”

Quick guide Commons Brexit vote – the day's timetable Show Hide 11.30am The Commons begins sitting. The first item is questions to Matt Hancock, the health secretary, and his ministerial team. These are meant to last 30 minutes but can run slightly over. Then the Labour MP Debbie Abrahams briefly introduces a private member’s bill on public sector supply chains under a 10-minute rule motion. After midday If there are no urgent questions or ministerial statements to delay proceedings, the final day of debate on Theresa May’s Brexit deal – officially known as section 13(1)(b) of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 – begins. It will be opened for the government by the attorney general, Geoffrey Cox. Before 7pm May will make a final closing speech for the government, appealing for support for her deal. From 7pm Voting begins. However, before the crucial vote, MPs must vote on the four amendments accepted by the Speaker. One amendment, tabled by the Tory Hugo Swire, has been accepted by the government. At some point between around 7.30pm to 9.30pm MPs finally vote on the deal, as amended.

Benn said the amendment tabled by Yvette Cooper last week to the finance bill, which was backed by 20 Conservative MPs, had already proved there was a majority in the house against no deal.

He said he had also had fears assuaged by Dominic Grieve‘s amendment, which will allow MPs to amend the government’s motion it must put before the house after a defeat, as well as the Speaker’s ruling that a business motion can also be amended and a proposal for a bill that would allow the Commons to seek an extension to article 50.

“All these developments mean that the house will soon have the opportunity to make it clear that it rejects no deal and so offer reassurance to the many businesses and their workers who are very anxious about the disaster that a no-deal Brexit would represent,” he said.

“If the prime minister loses tonight, the government must reach out across the house to try and find a way forward. If this doesn’t happen, then parliament will have to take the lead.”

A Guardian analysis suggests more than 100 Tory MPs have said they will vote against her deal – though some could be persuaded to abstain or vote in favour during the final hours of the debate. The Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, is likely to call for a no-confidence vote immediately after May’s defeat.

Another amendment gathering support ahead of the vote on Tuesday night is one tabled by the Tory backbencher Andrew Murrison, which aims to put a “sunset clause” on the backstop arrangements in the withdrawal agreement.

Brexiters have been particularly angered by the backstop, an insurance arrangement to keep the UK in an effective customs union until a solution is found to prevent a hard border in Northern Ireland, because it does not have a firm end date and cannot be exited unilaterally.

Murrison, the chair of the Northern Ireland affairs committee, has tabled an amendment that would prevent the backstop arrangement extending beyond the end of 2022.

The amendment has been signed by a number of senior Tory loyalists, including Sir Graham Brady, Damian Green and Robert Goodwill, suggesting it has some tacit whips’ support.

The amendment will not pass the Commons because it does not have Labour frontbench support, but No 10 is likely to watch to see how much support the ploy will attract.

The EU has thus far refused to countenance putting any exit date in the backstop arrangement but the amendment could act as further proof that the deal will not pass parliament without one.

Goodwill, the former immigration minister, said the key aim of the text was to give the DUP reassurances and Tory colleagues “a rope ladder to climb down”.