Jo Churchill reacts as she realises that she forgot to cast her vote

A Tory whip who forgot to vote is being blamed for a key defeat that rebels hope will pave the way for parliament to block a no-deal Brexit.

Jo Churchill, the MP for Bury St Edmunds, does not appear on division lists for the vote on Dominic Grieve’s amendment on Monday night, which passed by a single vote.

The defeat could help MPs to prevent a future prime minister from suspending parliament to force through a no-deal Brexit, a move Boris Johnson has refused to rule out.

Colleagues said that Ms Churchill, 55, had agreed to act as a proxy for Chloe Smith, the MP for Norwich North, and that although she cast Ms Smith’s vote she had forgotten to cast her own.

Julian Smith,