MPs could have repeated votes on Theresa May's Brexit deal, according to Scottish Secretary David Mundell, who described Tuesday's Commons crunch as "an initial vote".
With the House of Commons set for a historic vote on the Prime Minister's deal for leaving the EU, Mundell suggested that the Government would hold more votes if they lose tonight as expected.
Speaking on College Green in Westminster, he told BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland programme: "My feeling now is that there's a significant number of MPs who feel that they need to - in this initial vote - vote against the deal."
Pressed about his comments on an "initial vote", he added: "I think that everybody has to reflect on the outcome of the vote.
"I've said before, and I'm still very clear, that the obvious option following this vote - if it wasn't to go through - is to revisit the vote," he added.
"I don't want to see a situation where there are repeat votes.
"I do see that there are a number of people who clearly want in the vote tonight to register their position and view on the deal, but I hope that if there is another vote on this their actual thought process will be one of: 'What are the alternatives?'"
Asked about whether anything had changed since the vote was delayed in December, Mundell said: "There was the publication of letters, there was the December council and indeed some - and I concede a small number - (of) people have declared that they would now vote differently than they would have."
On Monday, Mundell said that while the Prime Minister's deal is not perfect, he will vote for it, while the Prime Minister issued a last-ditch plea for MPs to back her.
May warned MPs would be behaving with the "height of recklessness" if they rejected her Withdrawal Agreement when no alternative deal was on offer which was negotiable and respected the 2016 referendum result.
Her hopes that a letter from European Council president Donald Tusk and European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker making clear the backstop was "not a threat or a trap" would win over wavering MPs look set to be dashed, as the Democratic Unionist Party - which props up her minority administration - dismissed it as "meaningless".
More than 100 Tory MPs have also declared their opposition to the plan, amid speculation the Government could suffer one of the heaviest defeats of modern times.
May has insisted she is focused on winning the vote - telling Conservative rebels on Monday evening they risked handing the keys of No 10 to Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.
SNP MSP Joan McAlpine said: "There is an enormous irony that the UK Government is fighting tooth and nail against putting any proposals directly to the public but the Tories think they should rerun the vote in Westminster until they get the result they want.
"The UK Government has had over two years to negotiate with the EU and has failed to agree a deal that satisfies anyone.
"David Mundell's suggestion that the Tories will just rerun the vote until they get the result they want is insulting - and frankly he is living in fantasy land if he thinks Theresa May's deal is going to be pushed through."
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel