AN MP has warned Brexit ‘may not happen at all’ after the House of Commons rejected the Prime Minister’s EU withdrawal agreement.

Leading Tory James Cleverly says he remains hopeful the UK will leave the European Union on March 29 but thinks it will be difficult for a deal to be struck in time.

432 MP’s voted against Theresa May’s proposed Brexit deal on Tuesday; a result which then saw Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn immediately call for a vote of no confidence in the government.

Mr Cleverly, who represents both Braintree and Halstead, said he had ‘no doubt’ the prime minister would prevail should the no confidence vote go ahead. However, the deputy chairman of the Conservative party believes the result of the meaningful vote has only increased the uncertainty over what will happen in the coming months.

He said: “I was hoping that the House of Commons would vote through this deal that would get us out of the EU.

“We know lots of people were uncomfortable with the deal and that has now been confirmed.

“It’s very clear what people don’t want but we now need to know what people do want. Politics is a complicated thing and we can’t all get everything we want. What we all have to do is work out what is really important for this country and then look at the things which we can compromise on.

“I think the chances of a no deal Brexit have increased but I also think the chance of Brexit not happening at all have too.

“We saw people after the vote asking how to force through a second referendum and how to extend Article 50.

“It’s not going to be easy for the prime minister to come up with another option by Monday. These things take time and she has got to negotiate with people in Parliament, the DUP and the EU.

He added: “My gut feeling is Brexit will happen. If the House of Commons collectively prevents Brexit from happening, millions of voters, including people who voted remain, will feel something is broken in British democracy.

“People will be very disillusioned.”

Though Mr Cleverly voted in favour of Mrs May’s proposed Brexit deal, Witham MP Priti Patel was one of 118 Tory’s to reject the withdrawal agreement.

In a post on Twitter before the meaningful vote, Ms Patel wrote: “As the Parliamentary debate on the withdrawal agreement concludes today it’s worth reminding ourselves that 17.4m people did not vote leave in 2016 only to find that in 2019 a so-called withdrawal agreement would keep our country under the thumb of Brussel’s meaningful vote.

“With the Withdrawal Agreement the ECJ will continue to pass judgements affecting our control.

“So much for taking back control of our laws.”

A spokesman was unable to comment on how Ms Patel would vote in yesterday’s no confidence vote.