An MP has said she decided she decided to back Theresa May’s Brexit deal to stop the issue from being taken over by MPs who wanted to scupper the UK’s withdrawal from the EU.

Tracey Crouch, who represents Chatham and Aylesford, was the only MP in Kent who switched from having opposed the deal in the first meaningful vote in January.

She said the government's Withdrawal Act was flawed and utterly imperfect but she had decided on balance to support it in last night’s crucial vote.

In a statement explaining her decision on her Facebook page she said: “It is not perfect but this Brexit is better than the very real risk of No Brexit at all.

"Even with this flawed deal we stay in the game and have the chance to fight again. Allowing those who oppose the will of the people to take control of the agenda would be a betrayal of 17.3 million people who would never trust any of us ever again.”

She said: “If anyone thinks this is a “betrayal of Brexit”, please see what colleagues like Anna Soubry, Dominic Grieve and other arch Remainers have said today [Tuesday].

"They won’t be supporting the Withdrawal Agreement because it takes us out of the EU and quite simply they want us to ignore the outcome of the referendum and remain.”

MPs return to Parliament today to debate and vote on whether a ‘no deal’ Brexit should be taken off the agenda following last night's crushing defeat for the Prime Minister.

To see how events unfolded yesterday and keep up-to-date with things today, click here.