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Tory whips are reportedly threatening to 'cancel Christmas' to get Theresa May's Brexit deal through parliament.

MPs fear the Commons could be forced to sit beyond its last day of December 20 if her pact is voted down.

An MP told the i newspaper: "The message is vote for the deal or you might not see your families for much of the holidays".

But there's just one problem with the threat. To cancel the Christmas break, Theresa May would need... to win a vote in parliament.

Labour's whips today branded it a "stupid and hollow threat", suggesting any such move would simply be blocked.

"This really is a new level of nonsense from the PM," said Labour MP Chris Elmore.

(Image: AFP/Getty Images)

Labour MP Jim McMahon added: "Vote for the deal or Christmas gets it... hardly an inspiring message."

In other quarters the threat actively backfired, as MPs vowed to come in on Christmas Day if that's what it takes to defeat the deal.

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Steve Double, one of 100 Tory MPs who has indicated they will vote against the deal, said: "This is getting desperate. But you know what.

"This is likely to be the most important decision any of us in Parliament vote on. Plenty of other public servants such as doctors/police work over Christmas.

"If this is the price of doing what is right for our country bring it on."

(Image: AFP/Getty Images)

Labour MP Luke Pollard added: "I will bring Turkey sandwiches and we eat them in the Commons on Christmas Day if it means I get to vote Theresa May’s deal down.

"Desperate tactics like this won’t win her any extra votes but will lose her even more."

A Downing Street spokeswoman insisted she was not aware of any plans to alter the Christmas break.

It comes as Mrs May's Brexit deal faces a new threat from a powerful cross party group of MPs.

Hilary Benn, the Labour head of the Brexit committee, has tabled an amendment blocking the deal, preventing the possibility of No Deal Brexit, and giving MPs a proper say on what happens next if it's all voted down.

His bid has the backing of Labour plus Tories Dominic Grieve and Sarah Wollaston.

Under current rules the PM must return to the Commons in January with a written statement setting out her proposed next steps.

(Image: Getty Images)

Currently she must also hold a debate on a “neutral motion” so MPs at least get a chance to have their say.

But the new plans would make that “neutral motion” amendable.

That would mean MPs would not just debate the next steps, but be allowed to put forward their own plans for the government.

Last night the Prime Minister stubbornly insisted she has not given hope of forcing her Brexit deal through the Commons.

Will Theresa May win the Brexit deal vote? Theresa May has a Brexit deal, but the danger is looming that it will be defeated in the House of Commons. Even getting it past her Cabinet forced Esther McVey and Dominic Raab to resign. Now she faces one more hurdle - a vote in Parliament on December 11. MPs are grouped in several factions - their warring opinions are explained more fully here. But if 318 or more vote against the deal, they will defeat the deal. Against the deal TORY BREXITEERS: There are up to about 80, led by Boris Johnson and Jacob Rees-Mogg, threatening to vote down a deal that keeps Britain trapped in "vassalage" with Brussels. Not all are expected to live up to their threats. TORY HARD REMAINERS: Only about a dozen, but many - including Justine Greening and Jo Johnson - will vote against, instead wanting a second referendum. DUP: Theresa May's Northern Irish allies - who she handed £1.5bn - are 10-strong. They say they will vote down the deal. LABOUR LOYALISTS: About 150 MPs are consistently loyal to Jeremy Corbyn on Brexit. They'll be told to vote against the deal because it doesn't meet Labour's 'six tests'. LABOUR REMAINERS: There are about 50 hard Remainer Labour MPs. They're likely to oppose the deal to avoid enabling a Brexit. OTHERS: The SNP (35), Lib Dems (12), Plaid Cymru (4) and Greens (1) are all likely to vote against. For the deal TORY LOYALISTS: Well over 200 are likely to vote with Theresa May, for the deal. Many have paid government jobs - so would have to quit if they oppose her. 'NERVOUS LABOUR': Some Labour MPs could BACK a deal - fearing otherwise Britain will be plunged into an even worse No Deal. There could be 20 or more. Caroline Flint is among them. Unknown LABOUR BREXITEERS: There are only about half a dozen. It was generally thought they'd side with Theresa May, but Kate Hoey MP broke ranks and said she could vote against.

The Prime Minister faces a near-certain defeat on December 11 with scores of her own MPs vowing to team up with Labour, the DUP and other Opposition parties to derail her EU withdrawal plan.

But Mrs May claimed she could still win the crunch showdown.

Speaking to journalists as she flew to Argentina for a G20 summit in Buenos Aires, she snapped: “It has always been said we wouldn't get to this position of having a deal.

“Now we've got to the position of having a deal, all you seem to want to be asking about is the next stage.”

Meanwhile the new Brexit Secretary was mocked for trying to sell Theresa May's deal with a tweet even more robotic than the PM.

(Image: PA)

Stephen Barclay, a former Barclays director, tweeted: "Under the #Brexit deal, we have agreed to strike an ambitious new flexible and scalable relationship that allows us to combine resources worldwide for maximum impact. #BackTheBrexitDeal".

Tory councillor James Hellyer grumbled: "The Brexit Secretary seems to have swallowed an '80s manual in management speak."

It comes amid reports the EU is prepared to extend the date of Brexit to give time for a 'Plan B'.

European leaders are considering delaying the date until July to allow either a second referendum or a Norway style soft Brexit, the Times reported.