THERESA May’s government was left utterly humiliated yesterday, after the Prime Minister shelved Parliament’s meaningful vote on her Brexit deal.

The decision to defer came after a slew of ministers and Downing Street officials had insisted that the vote was going ahead.

Asked on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme if the vote was “definitely, 100%” going to happen, Gove replied: “Yes”. Pressed on the point, he said: “The vote is going ahead.”

Addressing the Commons just hours later May finally admitted that she had postponed, as she would almost certainly would have lost “by a significant margin”.

There was laughter when she told MPs it was clear there was “broad support for many of the key aspects of the deal”. But, she added, on the issue of the Northern Ireland backstop, the safety net to prevent a hard border on the island of Ireland, there remained “widespread and deep concern”.

Under May’s agreement, if the UK and EU fail to reach a trade deal before the end of the transition period in 2020, Northern Ireland would, effectively, remain in the Single Market and Customs Union, with Great Britain treated as a “third country”.

The backstop would only end when there’s agreement between Brussels and London, a position that angered Brexiteers and the DUP who prop up May’s government.

The Prime Minister said that before the European council summit later this week, she would visit counterparts in other member states to “discuss with them the clear concerns that the house has expressed” and “seek additional reassurance on the question of the backstop”.

Responding, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said the UK was “in an extremely serious and unprecedented situation.” He asked the Prime Minister if she was willing “to drop further red lines in order to make progress”.

Corbyn added: “Bringing back the same botched deal either next week or in January ... will not change its fundamental flaws and deeply held objections right across this House, which go far wider than the backstop alone.”

SNP deputy Westminster leader Kirsty Blackman told May that her decision to pull the vote was a “stunning display of pathetic cowardice”.

She added: “The vote [today] would have shown the will of this House but this Government is focused on saving the Prime Minister’s job and her party, instead of doing what is right for these countries.”

The Aberdeen North MP asked the Prime Minister to say exactly when the meaningful vote would now happen.

May declined to do so, saying it would depend how long talks with the EU last, and she said the final deadline for the vote was 21 January.

Livingston MP Hannah Bardell bluntly asked May: “What the heck is going on?”

“This is a complete and utter clusterburach.

“Why is the Prime Minister more concerned with her own self-preservation, and with narrow party unity, than with the lives and livelihoods of my constituents?” she added.

In an unexpectedly angry question, Douglas Ross, the Tory MP for Moray, revealed that he would have voted against the government tomorrow, and accused the Prime Minister of evading the question on “when the vote will finally be taken.”

DUP Westminster leader Nigel Dodds said the Government was in “an impossible position” without changes to the backstop.

“She cannot pretend going on defending the deal when she knows that if the vote had taken place tomorrow it would have been overwhelmingly defeated.

“So please, Prime Minister, really do start listening and come back with changes to the Withdrawal Agreement or it will be voted down.”

Veteran Labour backbencher Dennis Skinner said May looked “very weak”.

He added: “Mrs Thatcher had a word for it, what she’s done today, F-R-I-T, she’s frit.”

Former attorney general Dominic Grieve was one of many MPs to call on May to go back to the people in a second EU referendum: “Surely we should go back to the public and ask them exactly what they want and offer them the alternative of remaining in the EU.”

Hitting back, May said every MP raising the issue of another public vote “needs to consider very carefully the impact that would have”.

She said: “I believe it would lead to a significant loss of faith in our democracy. I believe it would lead many people to question the role of this House and the role of members in this House.”

Meanwhile, lead Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg made clear that even if May went to Brussels and somehow managed to convince them to tear up the backstop, it would not be enough for the Tory rebels.

He urged her to hold back the £39 billion divorce bill until a free trade deal is agreed.

The Eurosceptic, who last month led a failed bid to ditch May as Tory leader, put the blame for yesterday’s chaos firmly at her feet.

“If you look at today, this is the failure of the Prime Minister’s policy,” he said.

“The Withdrawal Agreement was her policy, two Dexeu secretaries resigned because they could not support her policy. It is personally identified with her.”

In an unusual moment, Commons Speaker John Bercow intervened during the statement to chide the government, calling the move to delay, after 164 MPs had taken part in four days of debate, “deeply discourteous”.

Bercow warned May against “unilaterally” postponing, and called on her to ask Parliament if they wanted to delay the meaningful vote, saying it would be the “courteous, respectful and mature” thing to do.

Number 10 declined to do so.

MPs will today debate Lords amendments to the Ivory Bill.