Carlisle's Conservative MP John Stevenson contributed to the Government's first defeat over key Brexit legislation after a last-ditch concession failed to quash a Tory rebellion.

Cheers sounded in the Commons when it became clear MPs had approved an amendment to the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill which guarantees Parliament a "meaningful" vote on any Brexit deal.

The result was announced as 309 votes to 305, majority four, in support of the proposal from Conservative former attorney general Dominic Grieve.

His amendment would require any Brexit deal to be approved by a separate Act of Parliament before it could be implemented.

Eleven Tories backed the amendment, including Mr Grieve and former chancellor Ken Clarke.

The other rebels were: Heidi Allen (South Cambridgeshire), Jonathan Djanogly (Huntingdon), Stephen Hammond (Wimbledon), Sir Oliver Heald (North East Hertfordshire), Nicky Morgan (Loughborough), Bob Neill (Bromley and Chislehurst), Antoinette Sandbach (Eddisbury), Anna Soubry (Broxstowe) and Sarah Wollaston (Totnes).

Mr Stevenson, for Carlisle, voted in both the ayes and noes lobby - which is considered a formal abstention.

This morning, on radio, he said that he was wanted Parliament to have a final say on the deal that would be reached with Europe.

Mr Stevenson said: "I was minded to vote against the government but concessions were made and they made me change. I decided to abstain.

"I felt it was right that our Parliament ultimately gets the right to have a say on the deal reached."

He added: "I've got every expectation that my Prime Minister and the Secretary of State will achieve a very good deal for the United Kingdom with our European partners, but I think it's absolutely right for democratic purposes that Parliament has that final say.

"There will be a vote in every Parliament about the agreement we reach with our European partners and I believe we should too."

Mr Grieve, ahead of the vote, warned ministers they had "run out of road" and drew upon Winston Churchill's spirit as he said he intended to put "country before his party".

Minutes before the vote, justice minister Dominic Raab sought to appease would-be rebels by saying the Government would rewrite the Bill to guarantee concessions it had offered but was faced with shouts of "too late" by some MPs on his side.

Mr Raab had promised fresh limits on powers contained in the Bill, explaining that no statutory instrument approved under the controversial clause nine would take effect until Parliament had voted on Britain's final deal with the bloc.

Clause nine provides the Government with the power to use secondary legislation to implement any Brexit deal - which would require less scrutiny from MPs.

Labour former minister Chris Leslie told the Commons: "What a privilege it is to have the opportunity to speak on such a momentous evening when Parliament has had the guts and the foresight to stand up to the executive and to take back control - give some hope back to those who thought all hope was lost.

"And to see members from all parties coming together, working together in the national interest."

Intervening, Tory Charles Walker (Broxbourne) said: "It is wonderful to see so many former ministers on my side of the House discover their love of parliamentary sovereignty when they are no longer on the ministerial merry-go-round.

"I have far greater respect in this place for those parliamentarians who have never held ministerial office and actually do respect this place even when things are not going their way."

Further analysis of the division list for Mr Grieve's amendment showed Tory MPs George Freeman (Mid Norfolk), Paul Masterton (East Renfrewshire) and Ed Vaizey (Wantage) did not vote despite having been seen in the Commons during the debate.

Charlie Elphicke (Dover), who now sits as an independent having had the Conservative whip removed, also did not vote despite contributing to the debate.

Brexit-supporting Labour MPs Ronnie Campbell (Blyth Valley), John Mann (Bassetlaw) and Dennis Skinner (Bolsover) voted in favour of the amendment.

Frank Field (Birkenhead) and Kate Hoey (Vauxhall) were the two Brexit-backing Labour MPs who voted against Mr Grieve's amendment.

The Government comfortably defeated four other amendments to the Bill before day seven of committee stage came to an end.

MPs will continue their line-by-line scrutiny of the Bill on December 20.