The Tory truce over Brexit stands on the brink of falling apart tonight as Theresa May faced another bruising Commons defeat by hardline Brexiteers.

Eurosceptic MPs were furious they are being forced to vote on a Government motion that they claimed would commit her to avoiding a no-deal Brexit . 

The vote, while not legally binding, gives MPs another chance to have their say on the Prime Minister’s Brexit plans.

They will be asked to confirm they still back the approach to leaving the EU that was passed by a stormy Commons on January 29.

MPs backed an amendment that forced Mrs May to try to renegotiate the controversial Irish border backstop with Brussels.

But on the same day, they also passed one which ruled out crashing out without a Brexit deal.

Several MPs in the hardline European Reform Group have warned Tory whips that they will not support the PM’s plan. 

Mark Francois, ERG vice-chair, said: “We cannot vote for this as it is currently configured because it rules out no deal and removes our negotiating leverage in Brussels… It is madness.”

But the PM’s official spokesman said: “No-deal is an eventuality we wish to avoid, but one we continue to plan for. Does no-deal remain on the table? The answer is yes.”

It came as Government ministers were desperately back-pedalling over claims the PM was running down the clock to blackmail MPs with the threat of a no deal. 

Her top Brexit aide Olly Robbins was overheard in a Brussels bar claiming MPs would get a last-minute choice to back the PM’s Brexit plan – or delay Brexit day.

Mrs May dismissed his remarks as “something said by someone else overheard by someone else in a bar”.

She added: “We want to leave with a deal. That is what we are working for.”

Senior Tories scrambled to insist that Brexit would happen on time. 

Tory vice-chairman Chris Philp said: “What a civil servant might speculate in a bar after a few drinks is frankly not that important.” 

Shadow Brexit secretary Keir Starmer accused the PM of brinkmanship – and warned of a “concerted” cross-party effort to get an extension if her deal fails.

He threw the party’s weight behind a new version of Labour MP Yvette Cooper’s plan to delay Brexit.

MPs could also get a vote on an amendment by veteran Tory Ken Clarke to allow MPs to vote for their preferred Brexit outcome.

More cross-party talks took place today with Sir Keir and Labour’s Jon Trickett meeting Brexit Secretary Steve Barclay and de facto deputy PM David Lidington.

Meanwhile Labour faced a new split over whether to swing behind a second EU referendum.

Sir Keir was slapped down by the leadership after suggesting a general election – Labour’s preferred option – was no longer viable.

He said a second referendum was the only “credible option” left if Labour’s favoured Brexit deal can’t be agreed.

Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell admitted to the Mirror it would now be “very difficult” to secure an election.

The Shadow Chancellor said: "If we can’t get our deal through Parliament, [we’ve] kept the option on the table of going back to the people in a public vote.

"Our preference is a general election, but if that’s not available to us, yeah, a People’s Vote.

“At the moment it’s very difficult to see if we could a general election, we know that.

"So therefore, yes, maybe if we can’t get our deal through Parliament, we’d go back to the people again."

At a later event, Mr McDonnell added: “We are still in hope of a general election but it’s unlikely.”

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