THERESA May told MPs it was their “duty” to finally vote through her divisive Brexit deal.

In a bullish statement to the Commons just hours after the EU offered a six-month delay to the UK’s departure from Europe, the Prime Minister rejected calls to compromise.

Instead, the Tory leader told MPs to use next week’s break from Westminster to think about the future. She said they should “use the opportunity of the recess to reflect on the decisions that will have to be made swiftly on our return after Easter".

May added: “Let us then resolve to find a way through this impasse, so that we can leave the European Union with a deal as soon as possible. So that we can avoid having to hold those European parliamentary elections.

“And above all, so that we can fulfil the democratic decision of the referendum, deliver Brexit and move our country forward.

“This is our national duty as elected members of this House – and nothing today is more pressing or more vital.”

READ MORE: Furious Brexiteers urge Prime Minister to resign over latest delay

News of the extension to the Article 50 negotiations came in the early hours of yesterday morning after heated discussions between EU leaders in Brussels.

The new October 31 deadline almost certainly means Britain fighting next month’s European elections.

During the talks France’s president Emmanuel Macron argued for a shorter delay that would have been subject to a review in June, while Germany and around a dozen others had called for it to pushed back until the end of the year.

Donald Tusk, the president of the European Council, said there was nothing in the rule book to stop us being in exactly the same place in October, and a further extension being negotiated: “I am too old to exclude another scenario. I think still everything is possible.”

However, he urged British MPs not to allow that to happen: “This extension is as flexible as I expected, and a little bit shorter than I expected, but it’s still enough to find the best possible solution. Please do not waste this time.”

That call was echoed by Nicola Sturgeon, who, in a letter to the Prime Minister, urged her to the use the time “constructively”.

She also called for the Scottish Government and the SNP to be involved in the current talks between Labour and the Tories.

“We now have the gift of more time from the EU, and that must be used constructively to reset the UK Government approach. Your ongoing talks with the leader of the opposition should now broaden to include other parties, the devolved administrations, business and civic society, and open up the range of options on the table in an effort to reach a genuine consensus.”

Those talks continued yesterday with Corbyn and May meeting briefly. Officials from both sides are due to meet again today.

May’s spokesman said the Prime Minister wanted to agree a deal with Labour that would get support in the Commons, and could mean the UK leaving the EU before June 30.

He said: “If we work at pace, the House of Commons can come together, we can agree a deal, ratify it and get out before having to do EU parliamentary elections. There is an opportunity here and we ought not to lose sight of that.”

Earlier, in the Commons, the SNP’s Ian Blackford had asked the Tory chief for more details on what was being discussed, and, in particular, if a new referendum was part of their negotiations.

“Has your government offered a second EU referendum in talks with the Labour Party — yes or no?” Blackford asked May.

“Has the Labour Party requested a second referendum in the talks — yes or no?

“Is the Labour Party cosying up to the Tories asking to end freedom of movement as a price for their support for a Tory deal?”

May replied: “The Government has not offered a second referendum. Our position on that issue has not changed.”

Meanwhile, Holyrood confirmed that the delay to the Article 50 negotiations meant no Easter recall for MSPs.