A Norfolk MP has said the country must 'move on from this civil war' ahead of a monumental vote on Brexit.

Eastern Daily Press: MP George Freeman. Picture: DENISE BRADLEYMP George Freeman. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY (Image: Archant)

Referring to the crowds of protestors - both leave and remain - gathered on College Green outside the Houses of Parliament, Conservative MP for Mid Norfolk George Freeman said: 'You can see from the noise here that this mob outside Parliament is growing and building. It's been here since November, today it's trebled in size.'

Mr Freeman, who will be voting for Theresa May's deal tonight, said the common theme between both was anger.

And added: 'We in this building have somehow got to show that we're listening to the concerns of these people, to the legitimate grievances.'

Speaking in the House of Commons before the vote, Richard Bacon, Conservative MP for South Norfolk, said: 'A constituent of mine who voted leave recently said 'I'm sick and tired of being told I did not know what I was voting for. I knew what I was voting for.'

But he said the problem was 'some people have no interest in respecting the vote of the referendum'.

Mr Bacon, who on Monday said he would be voting against the deal, added: 'We don't need this deal, we just need to leave.'

Theresa May has told senior ministers she believes 'passionately' that they must take Britain out of the European Union, ahead of what is expected to be a devastating parliamentary rejection of her Brexit plans.

The withdrawal agreement secured by the Prime Minister in Brussels in November looks set to go down to one of the heaviest Commons defeats in modern history, after a last-gasp appeal to Tory rebels fell on deaf ears.

But Mrs May made clear she would not back away from Brexit in response, telling the Cabinet the Government is 'the servant of the people' and must deliver on the result of the 2016 referendum in which voters opted to Leave by 52pc-48pc.

She told colleagues at the weekly meeting in 10 Downing Street that she will respond 'quickly' if her deal is rejected by MPs.

Opening the final day of debate in the Commons, attorney general Geoffrey Cox said that in the event of a government defeat the agreement would have to return 'in much the same form with much the same content'.

Jeremy Corbyn has told Labour MPs he will table a motion of no confidence in the government 'soon' after a defeat, in the hope of triggering a general election.