Theresa May has suffered another Commons defeat on Brexit after a motion reaffirming the UK Government's position was defeated by a majority of 45.

Only 258 MPs backed Conservative ministers with 303 voting against, alongside dozens of abstentions by Tory Brexiteer backbenchers.

They rebelled amid anger over the government motion, which contained a seemingly innocuous statement of support for the "approach to leaving the EU expressed by this House" on January 29.

At the end of last month, Parliament endorsed two amendments, one which stated the House's opposition to a no-deal Brexit - a position not shared by the influential Tory pro-Brexit European Research Group (ERG).

Following the result, SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford said the Prime Minister, who was absent from the chamber, should be there to "accept her responsibilities".

"This is a significant defeat for the government; this is a bourach," Blackford said.

"At the end of the day, the Prime Minister should be here to accept her responsibilities on the back of this government defeat and where is she?

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn demanded the Prime Minister come back to MPs with a "coherent plan".

He said: "Tonight's vote shows there's no majority for the Prime Minister's course of action, and yet again her government has been defeated.

"The government cannot keep on ignoring Parliament or ploughing on towards March 29 without a coherent plan.

"She can't keep on just running down the clock and hoping that something will turn up that will save her day and save her face."

Two other amendments, lodged by Labour and the SNP, were also rejected by MPs.

The SNP's motion, tabled by Blackford, called for a three-month postponement of Brexit, which is currently scheduled in law for March 29, but was defeated by 93 votes to 315.

The Labour leader whipped his party's MPs to abstain on the SNP amendment, although a minority defied him to vote for it.

Corbyn's own amendment to ask the government to present a new Brexit plan by the end of February fell by 306 to 322.

A motion instructing the government to publish within a week the most recent civil service briefing papers it had received on a no-deal Brexit was dropped after a commitment by ministers to do so.

The amendment, tabled by pro-remain Conservative MP Anna Soubry, had enjoyed cross-party support.

Closing the debate for the government, Brexit minister Chris Heaton-Harris offered to meet with Soubry to identify the papers she wished to see published, then to do so if possible.

She accepted the offer but pledged to move the amendment by the end of February if her demands are not been met by then.

The Prime Minister did not rise to speak at all during the session, leaving Brexit secretary Stephen Barclay to open the debate for the government, but did turn up to cast her votes.

The defeat of her motion is non-binding, but UK ministers warned prior to the vote it would send the "wrong signal" to Brussels, as May seeks changes to the contentious Irish backstop.

On January 29, as well as opposing no-deal, the House of Commons backed an amendment by influential Tory MP Sir Graham Brady calling for the UK to negotiate "alternative arrangements" to the backstop with the European Union.

The EU insists it will not reopen the withdrawal agreement it struck with Britain late last year, which contains safeguards to keep the border open between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

The deal the Prime Minister struck with the EU was rejected on January 15 by a record-breaking Commons margin of 230 votes.