Theresa May’s Whips Branded ‘Useless’ By Brexit-Backing Labour MPs

He was, however, scathing of the government’s strategy to get its deal through, telling HuffPost UK: “My views must be well known, because they haven’t (reached out to me).

“They are hopeless, their whipping operation is, in grand strategy and in small detail, absolutely lamentable.

“They are a bunch of amateurs.”

Another, shadow education minister Mike Kane, said he and other colleagues were pleased the second amendment tabled by Cooper would make the prime minister decide how long a delay to Article 50 should be, meaning Labour MPs cannot be blamed.

“I’m much happier with Cooper 2,” he said.

“I’ve had a lot of discussions with Yvette, there was a number of us on the frontbench as well.

“We thought why the heck would we be tagged with a nine month delay and seen as frustrating the Brexit process? The prime minister has got to own this, we know she has got to apply for some sort of extension unless she goes for a general election or second referendum.

“And the bill next week sets out that the prime minister has to tell us what she wants to do.

“On that basis I am a lot happier.”

Another previous abstainer, who did not want to be named, said: “I am intending to vote for the proposal put forward by Yvette Cooper, as it prevents a no-deal scenario and does not open the door to a second referendum that I and many of my colleagues oppose.”

But the MP said that while they had considered potentially backing May’s deal, they felt she had negotiated in “bad faith” by “refusing to countenance any move towards a customs union”.

“I’ve had absolutely no contact from the government, it’s useless. I will not vote for the PMs deal as it stands,” they added.

Another MP who abstained said: “From what I’ve seen so far I can back Cooper 2 and no one has approached me from Number 10.”