May delays Brexit vote until mid-January in bid to push her deal through

British Prime Minister Theresa May says the delayed vote in Parliament on the Brexit deal between her Government and the European Union will be held the week of January 14.

The vote was supposed to take place last week, but May cancelled it at the last minute when it became clear MPs would resoundingly reject the agreement.

May is trying to win tweaks from the EU in order to win over sceptical MPs — although the bloc says no renegotiation is possible.

May told MPs today that debate on the deal would resume the week of January 7, when Parliament comes back after its Christmas break. She said the vote would be held the following week.

Some members of the Cabinet are urging the Government to ramp up planning for a "no-deal" Brexit — a chaotic outcome that could see gridlock at UK ports, planes grounded and shortages of essential goods.

Others are seeking to work with opposition politicians to find a way out of the morass.

May's supporters distanced themselves from media reports that senior figures in her government held talks with opposition Labour MPs aimed at holding another referrendum.

But some Cabinet members say MPs from all parties should be consulted to find out whether there is majority support for any course of action.

"We can't just have continuing uncertainty and I think Parliament should be invited to say what it would agree with," Business Secretary Greg Clark told the BBC.

May is against calls for a second referendum, saying it would do irreparable damage to trust in democracy.

May said that staging another referendum "would say to millions who trusted in democracy that our democracy does not deliver".

The Prime Minister argued that such a ballot would exacerbate divisions rather than heal them.

Britain is due to leave the EU in March and will crash out with no deal unless MPs approve May's deal or another solution is found.

-AP