The House of Commons has rejected Boris Johnson's bid to pass his Brexit deal into law by Thursday by 308 votes to 322.

It comes despite MPs agreeing to back the Prime Minister's withdrawal agreement bill (WAB) in principle on the second reading, by 329 to 299.

Johnson earlier threatened to pull the bill and call for a general election if parliament voted down his accelerated three-day timetable.

Speaking after the vote, he said the legislation would now be "paused" until the EU reaches a decision on the PM's request on Saturday for a Brexit extension.

The Prime Minister was forced to write to Brussels asking for delay when MPs voted to withhold approval for his Brexit deal until the WAB had been implemented during a historic Saturday Commons sitting.

In order to pass the 110-page bill, published on Tuesday, in time to meet the current Halloween deadline for the UK's departure from the EU, the government had set out a breakneck timetable in a programme motion.

The motion's defeat on Tuesday evening - by a majority of 14 - deals a heavy blow to Johnson's promise to take the UK out of the EU by October 31 "do or die".

Just minutes earlier, he had enjoyed a rare parliamentary victory when MPs approved the WAB in principle by a majority of 30 - the first time the Commons has been prepared to back any Brexit deal put before it.

Addressing MPs after the programme motion defeat, Johnson said: "Can I say in response how welcome it is, even joyful that for the first time in this long saga, this House has actually accepted its responsibilities together... and embraced a deal.

"I congratulate honourable members across the House on the scale of our collective achievement because just a few weeks ago hardly anybody believed that we could reopen the withdrawal agreement, let alone abolish the backstop, that is indeed what they were saying.

"And certainly nobody thought we could secure the approval of the House for a new deal and we should not overlook the significance of this moment."

The PM went on: "I will speak to EU member states about their intentions," saying: "Until they have reached a decision we will pause this legislation."

He added: "Our policy remains that we should not delay, that we should leave the EU on October 31 and that is what I will say to the EU and I will report back to the House. "

"One way or another we will leave the EU with this deal."

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn offered to work with the government to agree a "reasonable timetable" for the WAB.

Corbyn said: "Tonight the House has refused to be bounced into debating a hugely significant piece of legislation in just two days with barely any notice and analysis of the economic impact of this Bill.

"The Prime Minister is the author of his own misfortune.

"So I make this offer to him tonight: work with us, all of us to agree a reasonable timetable, and I suspect this House will vote to debate, scrutinise and, I hope, commend the detail of this Bill.

"That would be the sensible way forward, and that is the offer I make on behalf of the opposition tonight."