Theresa May has finally won the power to trigger Article 50 after peers backed down and passed the Brexit Bill after two crucial votes in the Commons earlier.

MPs followed orders to delete an amendment on guaranteeing the rights of EU nationals, backing the Government 335 to 287, majority 48.

The Commons also defeated the second amendment on the timetabling of votes at the end of the negotiation by a majority of 45.

Peers then debated the deletions but did not offer any further resistance. It means the historic legislation will be law by tomorrow.

Viscount Hailsham, a Tory peer who voted in favour of the amendment last time, said tonight: 'We have asked the Commons to think again, they have thought again, they have not taken our advice, and our role now I believe is not to insist.'

Despite the climb down by Remain supporters in Parliament, Mrs May will not trigger Article 50 tomorrow - despite expectations having risen she might.

No 10 today denied the Prime Minister had been spooked by Nicola Sturgeon's shock announcement of plans for a second independence referendum.

Theresa May (pictured at Westminster Abbey today) will start the ball rolling by writing to European Council president Donald Tusk, setting out Britain's demands of the EU post-Brexit - but not until the end of the month

Brexit Secretary David Davis said tonight: 'Parliament has today backed the Government in its determination to get on with the job of leaving the EU and negotiating a positive new partnership with its remaining member states.

'We are now on the threshold of the most important negotiation for our country in a generation.

'We have a plan to build a Global Britain, and take advantage of its new place in the world by forging new trading links.

'So we will trigger Article 50 by the end of this month as planned and deliver an outcome that works in the interests of the whole of the UK.'

MPs followed orders to delete an amendment on guaranteeing the rights of EU nationals, backing the Government 335 to 287, majority 48.

The Commons also defeated the second amendment on the timetabling of votes at the end of the negotiation by a majority of 45.

Brexit Secretary David Davis opened today's debate with a warning to MPs the Government was not prepared to undermine the 'national interest' by accepting either amendment.

The warnings were heeded and just two Conservative MPs - Alex Chalk and Tania Mathias - rebelled despite fears of a more widespread revolt.

Even staunchly Pro-EU peers admitted tonight there was no appetite in the Lords to defy the will of the elected chamber again.

Historic moment: A sign of the importance of the House of Lords debate tonight was that Theresa May herself watched the debate and signed the visitors' book

The crucial legislation should receive Royal Assent on Tuesday morning - at which point Mrs May will be free to fire the starting gun on the formal EU divorce process.

She is due to make a statement to the Commons on the EU summit at lunchtime, which would be the first opportunity to announce she has notified Brussels.

But No 10 indicated it would now take place in the week beginning March 27, following EU celebrations for the Treaty of Rome next week.

Brexit Secretary David Davis opened the debate with a warning to MPs the Government was not prepared to undermine the 'national interest'.

Mr Davis opened a two-hour debate in the Commons that is due to end in the House of Lords later tonight following a bout of Parliamentary ping-pong over Article 50

Mr Davis urged MPs not to 'tie the Prime Minister's hands' by backing wrecking amendments passed last week by the Lords.

One of the amendment sought to give Parliament a 'meaningful' vote on the divorce deal, while the other demanded guarantees protections for EU nationals living in Britain.

As he opened today's debate, Mr Davis said ministers had given an 'undertaking' to schedule proper votes on the Brexit deal.

Mr Davis vowed: 'We take very seriously, I take very seriously our moral responsibility to all four million United Kingdom and European Union citizens.

'The Prime Minister has been clear that issue will be one of the top priorities for the immediate negotiations.

Tory Anna Soubry and Labour's Hilary Benn led cross-party resistance against the Government's Brexit plans

'I also welcome the encouraging words from across the Channel, particularly from Poland and Sweden, which fill me with confidence that we will reach a swift agreement with our European partners.'

Mr Davis refused to make a further concession on the rules on binding final votes but acknowledged one way or another MPs would get at least a symbolic vote, even if they scheduled it themselves.

He said: 'This place will have its say and will have its way.'

Shadow Brexit Secretary Sir Keir Starmer said protecting EU citizens was 'a matter of principle', saying: 'Are we prepared to use one set of people - those that are here - as a bargaining chip, to get the rights for people in the EU? That is exactly what it is.

CLEGG: BREXIT WILL MEAN ID CARDS Brexit will mean implementing ID cards, Nick Clegg claimed in the Commons today The Government could have to introduce something similar to ID cards to distinguish between EU nationals who arrived before and after Brexit, Nick Clegg has claimed. The former deputy prime minister also accused ministers of 'procedural machismo' in trying to push the Bill to trigger Article 50 through Parliament. Liberal Democrat Europe spokesman Mr Clegg said the Government's stubbornness in refusing to accept Lords amendments to the Bill could be perceived as a sign of weakness. Advertisement

'Once the whole argument about reciprocal rights is about bargaining, it is saying we will not do what we should do by this group of people until we get something in return for it. That is bargaining.'

Stephen Gethins, the SNP's Europe spokesman, said: 'If we pass this today we are passing this Government a blank cheque, a blank cheque on one of the most crucial issues that this Parliament has ever discussed, and one that will have an impact on each and every one of us and each and every one of our constituents.'

He later added: 'It is the House of Lords, of all places, the House of Lords, that has given us another opportunity today to save the House of Commons' blushes.'

Labour MP Hilary Benn, who chairs the Brexit select committee, said: 'I listened also carefully to the language which was used by Mr Davis.

'He talked about being able to act without our hands being tied. He talked about being able to pass the Bill without any strings attached.

'I just say to him, we, this House, we are not strings.

'We are part of our democracy, and we are very attached to that democracy.'

George Osborne, who masterminded the Remain campaign's Project Fear, backed the Government.

Allies of the ex-Chancellor say he believes ministers will give assurances the Commons will have a truly 'meaningful' vote on the final Brexit deal.

There had also been speculation Ms Morgan may rebel.

But she suggested today 'assurances' from Mr Davis would be enough to win her over.

'If the Prime Minister wants a united party then this is a simple reassurance that can be given by ministers at the despatch box that will have the effect, as I say, of my and my colleagues supporting the Government in this,' Ms Morgan told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

She signalled she would back the Government on EU nationals.

Scotland's former First Minister Alex Salmond (right) said the government's view on Brexit was 'Our way or the highway'. Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson quipped that a post-Brexit free trade deal with the US might 'liberate the haggis' which currently can't be exported there

The Commons was packed today for the start of constitutional ping pong, which is expected to end in the Lords later tonight

The Scottish Nationalists seized their opportunity for a second referendum, which they said would come after the terms of Brexit were known following negotiations with the EU

Lord Darling of Roulanish - better known as former Labour Chancellor Alistair Darling - said peers should back down if their amendments were overturned by MPs.

'The Commons has got to be supreme,' he said.

'I was 27 years a member of the House of Commons, I feel very strongly about that, the Lords is there to revise but at the end of the day the House of Commons is a democratically elected body.

MAY'S BREXIT TRIGGER WILL BE PRINTED ON VELLUM If Theresa May gets her wish and MPs and peers drop their resistance, her Article 50 powers could be law tonight. While Royal Assent from the Queen will allow Mrs May to start her Brexit talks, it will also trigger an archaic archiving process. The new law will be printed onto Vellum, better known as goat skin. Two copies will be made - one for the Parliamentary Archive and another for the National Archives. The expensive, and occasionally controversial, process is the traditional way of storing British laws and has been used for centuries as an extremely long-lasting record. Advertisement

'I don't want Brexit, I think it's bad, I think we'll regret it, but that's the way it is.'

Lord Oates, the Lib Dem peer, accused government ministers who had been part of the Remain campaign of betraying EU nationals in Britain.

Labour peer Lady Hayter said: 'Our view has been rejected in the elected House of Commons, and it is clear that the Government is not for turning.

'On behalf of the opposition I say to the people concerned we are not giving up on you.'

Lib Dem peers jeered Lady Hayter and she replied: 'I'll take no lessons from the Liberal Democrats, who confessed to me outside the chamber that this is appealing to their core vote and they're piling on members because of it.'

Tory MPs including ex-chancellor Ken Clarke and former business minister Anna Soubry could still rebel. But it appears there will not be enough to threaten the government's majority.

One rebel told the FT: 'We're aware that politics is a numbers game — and we don't have the numbers'

Yesterday Mr Davis urged rebels to pass the Bill unamended. On the Andrew Marr Show, he said: 'Please don't tie the Prime Minister's hands in the process of doing that for things which we expect to attain anyway.'

Tory rebel MPs backing the amendment may include ex-attorney general Dominic Grieve and Treasury committee chairman Andrew Tyrie.

Remoaners: Hundreds of people calling for EU residents in the UK to be given the right to remain in the UK following Brexit protested outside Parliament tonight

Eurolover: Remainers protesting in Parliament Square tonight were disappointed when Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who had pleaded for people to come to the rally, failed to show up

Rabble rousers: In Corbyn's absence the demonstrators listened to speeches from Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott and Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell

Voters are confident People have not stopped shopping Consumers are 'unfazed' by Brexit uncertainty and feel confident about their future, a survey has found. Less than a third of those questioned said they were worried about the effect of leaving the EU, and just 15.5 per cent were anxious about job security. And less than one in ten homeowners expected the value of their property to fall this year, according to HSBC's survey of 2,000 people. HSBC said: 'It seems fair to say that the message from the Remain camp in the pre-referendum period – that voting for Brexit would threaten your job and knock down the value of your house – simply has not resonated with voters. 'Consumption has been critical to the UK's resilience following the vote to leave the EU, with the average household having remained largely unfazed by the prospect of political change.' Advertisement

Asked if Parliament will get a meaningful vote, Mr Davis said: 'What we can't have is either House of Parliament reversing the decision of the British people.'

After the votes went the way of the Government the Bill went before the Lords this evening.

During the debate in the Lords the Archbishop of York, John Sentamu, said the vote against the amendment was not due to a 'lack of compassion' but because of a respect for the process.

He pointed out that under the law people who have continuously resided for more than five years are automatically allowed to remain.

Labour's leader in the Lords promised not to defy the will of the Commons.

Two Tory peers who rebelled last time – Baroness Altmann and Lord Heseltine – suggested they would back down.

Ex-deputy prime minister Lord Heseltine, sacked from Government roles after voting against Mrs May in the Lords, admitted he would fall in line if MPs defeat the amendments, adding: 'The arguments for the supremacy of the Commons would be very powerful.'

To begin the process of leaving the EU, Mrs May will write to European Council president Donald Tusk, setting out Britain's demands.

She would also be expected to tell the Commons Article 50 has been invoked. Mr Tusk has said EU leaders will respond within 48 hours.

EU leaders will then hold a meeting, probably next month, to agree a response, before Mr Tusk replies with the EU's position and sounding the starting gun on talks.