THERESA May warned the Conservative Party that replacing her as leader could delay or even stop Brexit as she received huge cheers in the Commons just hours after the announcement that put her leadership on the line.

The Prime Minister, who earlier in Downing St said she would contest the confidence vote with "everything I have got,” was praised by colleagues for her determination and was urged not to be distracted by "parliamentary parlour games".

Tory grandee Ken Clarke hit out at his colleagues for even calling the ballot, labelling it "unhelpful, irrelevant and irresponsible".

The former Chancellor told MPs: "At a time of grave national crisis on an issue that we all agree is hugely important to future generations, can the Prime Minister think of anything more unhelpful, irrelevant and irresponsible than for the Conservative Party to embark on weeks of a Conservative leadership election?"

Mrs May responded by warning her colleagues that there was no doubt that if there were a Tory leadership election this would “go beyond the legislative date of January 21 and it would mean that were a new leader to come in one of the first things they would have to do would be to either extend Article 50 or rescind Article 50, and that would mean either delaying or stopping Brexit".

Tory backbencher Neil O'Brien later gave his backing to his party leader, quoting a number of constituents' letters urging him to support her.

Quoting from one, he said: "'The head-bangers from all sides and the supine attitude of the Labour Party has meant she's had an impossible job but she's done so well'.

"Does the Prime Minister agree with me,” he asked, “that my constituents have got a lot more common sense than the members opposite who want to stop Brexit and fundamentally damage our democracy."

Mrs May responded: "This can be an occasion when I give a very short answer: yes."

Her Tory colleague Kevin Hollinrake urged the PM to ignore the "parliamentary parlour games" and focus on the Brexit negotiations.

For Labour, Jeremy Corbyn demanded the deferred vote on the PM’s Brexit Plan should be held by the end of next week when Westminster rises for Christmas given that she had not received any reassurances from Brussels on changing the UK-EU deal.

But when Mrs May insisted the delayed meaningful vote would be rescheduled at some point in the future “in the usual way,” the Labour leader flew into a rage.

He declared: “That is totally and utterly unacceptable to this House. This House agreed a programme motion. This House agreed the five days of debate. This House agreed when the vote would take place.

“The Government unilaterally pulled that and denied the House the chance of a vote on this crucial matter. The Prime Minister and her Government have already been found in contempt of Parliament. Her behaviour today is just contemptuous of this Parliament and this process. Her appalling behaviour needs to be held to account by the House,” insisted Mr Corbyn.

For the SNP, Mr Blackford also picked up on the issue of the deferred meaningful vote and also decried the fact it had not be retabled for debate.

"We should be having the vote and it should be happening next week,” said the Highland MP. “This Government is a farce, the Tory Party is in chaos, the Prime Minister is a disgrace with her actions.

"The reality is that people across Scotland and the UK are seeing this today. Prime Minister take responsibility; do the right thing: resign."

But Mrs May replied: "He makes the remarks he does about deferring the vote, but of course it is precisely because I have listened and colleagues in Government have listened to the views of people across this House, that we are pursuing this issue further with the EU, that is being respectful of the views that have been raised in this House."