MPs across Portsmouth split over looming prospect of a no-deal Brexit

‘REBELLING against the government was horrible but it had to be done – I could not stand by this sort of Brexit.’

These are the words of Fareham MP Suella Braverman who was the only Tory MP in the area to vote against the prime minister’s draft Brexit deal.

Mrs Braverman, who stood down from her role as Brexit minister last year, was among 118 Conservatives to rebel against Mrs May. S peaking of the vote result, she said: ‘This emphatic result shows this deal was unacceptable and needs either a thorough amendment or to be ditched entirely.

‘It’s been a difficult night for everyone in parliament. I myself rebelled against the Tory government for the first time in my career which was not nice.

‘But we are in a mess and this is a Brexit nobody wanted. ‘

She highlighted concerns over the Northern Ireland backstop as the ‘straw that broke the camel’s back’ in her decision, saying it would have kept the UK ‘indefinitely tied’ to Europe.

She also branded Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn’s no-confidence vote in the government as ‘common theatrics’ and confirmed she will back the government in tonight’s vote.