ST HELENS North MP said he believes the government should "call a general election" or must consider the "option of a second referendum" in the wake of the delay on the parliamentary vote on the Brexit deal.

Prime Minister Theresa May yesterday put back a House of Commons vote on the Withdrawal Agreement with the European Union.

Today (Wednesday) it has been revealed that enough Conservative MPs have called for a vote of 'no confidence' in Theresa May.

Speaking after the delay in the Brexit vote, Mr McGinn said: "The last 24 hours in Westminster have been chaotic and shambolic.

"The Prime Minister has lost authority and now is in office for her and her party’s self-interest, and certainly not in the national interest.

"The House of Commons should have voted on her deal today. Instead the Government has postponed the vote and is in a complete state of disarray."

The Labour MP said his priority was "guarding against a no-deal Brexit" which he said would be "catastrophic" and called for a general election to break the impasse.

He added: "I would have voted against this deal. It is bad for young people, workers, businesses and the wider community in St Helens North.

"Theresa May’s offer gives no guarantees on workers’ rights, environmental protections, consumer standards, security co-operation and most importantly it gives no clarity about a future trading relationship between the EU and Britain.

"How can I trust the Tories to protect or deliver on any of these given what we’ve seen in Parliament this week, and more acutely in what the Government has done to the NHS, schools, police and local government in St Helens borough over the last seven years?

We are at an impasse. My priority is guarding against a no-deal Brexit that would be catastrophic for St Helens North and the whole country. I believe that this Tory Government is discredited and now should call a general election.

"If that doesn’t happen, then I believe the option of a second referendum is one we must consider."

Meanwhile, Marie Rimmer, the Helens South and Whiston MP also branded the situation as "absolute chaos".

She added: "We are at a critical time in this country and here we are, we don't know what we are doing.

"Article 50 was triggered and the deal she (May) brought back doesn't meet the objectives she set. It is unbelievable.

"It isn't just her deal or no deal, there's another way."