THERESA May suffered a humiliating defeat in the Commons last night, after rebels in her party passed an amendment to the government’s Brexit repeal Bill insisting MPs get a “meaningful” vote on the final deal.

The change to law was passed by just four votes after SNP, Labour, and Lib Dem MPs joined forces with the Tory rebels.

Though the Prime Minister has previously told MPs they’ll get a vote on the final Brexit deal, she had insisted it would only be on “take it or leave it” basis.

Under May’s plans, if MPs had voted to “leave it” rather than accept whatever deal she managed to negotiate, that would have meant the UK crashing out of the EU without a deal on Brexit day in March 2019.

Last night’s defeat means MPs can now tell the Prime Minister that her deal is not quite right, and that the Brexit day can be delayed until a good enough deal is reached.

The defeat came despite a last minute attempt to quell the rebellion with offer a semi-meaningful vote, and despite a charm offensive from May and her ministers.

During Prime Minister’s Questions, the Tory leader had even warned that the rebel amendment would stop the UK having the “orderly and smooth exit from the European Union that we wish to have”, it was roundly defeated.

But former Attorney General Dominic Grieve, who tabled the amendment, told MPs putting the country before party was the right thing to do.

He said: “Apart from on HS2, I do not think that I have ever rebelled against the Government in my 20 and a half years in this House.

“I do find it quite entertaining that some who criticise me for speaking my mind on this matter are individuals who appear to have exercised the luxury of rebellion on many, many occasions.

“But that said, there is a time for everybody to stand up and be counted. As Churchill said: ‘He is good party man — he puts the party before himself and the country before his party.’ And that is what I intend to do.”

The vote at 309-305 was incredibly close. East Renfrewshire Tory MP Paul Masterton had planned on rebelling but said the government’s last minute “meaningful concession” meant he would abstain.

Tory Brexit rebel Anna Soubry said minsters had plenty of time before last night to make amendments, and that it was now too late.

The Prime Minister’s lack of a majority leaves her vulnerable to any Commons revolt, and given how much effort she put into stemming the rebellion, last night’s vote, her first proper parliamentary defeat, will be a damaging blow to her authority.

The Tory leader flies to a summit of EU leaders in Brussels today, where they’ll likely formally accept that “sufficient progress” has been made on phase one of the Brexit talks, and allow the UK to start discussing its future relationship with the bloc.

Yesterday the European Parliament voted on the agreement reached at last week talks, and backed calls by 556-62, that sufficient progress has been made.

However, Tory MEPs refused to back the motion after it was amended to criticise Brexit secretary David Davis.

Over the weekend Davis had suggested the deal was a “statement of intent” rather than enforceable.

Commission chief negotiator Michel Barnier told the Parliament that was incorrect: “We will not accept any going back on this joint report. This progress has been agreed and will be rapidly translated into a withdrawal accord that is legally binding in all three areas and on some others that remain to be negotiated.”

During the debate Nigel Farage ranted on about how “Theresa the Appeaser” had bowed to all of the EU’s demands.

He seemed to accept that there might even be another referendum on EU membership.

“I fear we will have to fight for Brexit all over again,” he said.