WANTAGE MP Ed Vaizey was one of 26 Conservatives who voted in favour of giving parliament a bigger say if Theresa May's Brexit deal is rejected next week.

The amendment by former attorney general Dominic Grieve was one of three key votes the Government lost yesterday, as five days of debate got underway.

They included May and her Cabinet being found in contempt of parliament for failing to publish full legal advice on the Brexit deal.

Oxfordshire's other MPs voted along party lines, with Liberal Democrat Layla Moran, who represents West Oxford and Abingdon, and Labour's Anneliese Dodds, who repesents East Oxford, also backing the amendment, as well as the contempt vote.

Witney MP Robert Courts, Henley MP John Howell and Banbury MP Victoria Prentis, all Conservatives, meanwhile, backed the Government.

The three votes 

First the government lost a bid to have the legal advice issue dealt with separately by the Privileges Committee of MPs by 311 to 304.

For

- Robert Courts

- Ed Vaizey

- Victoria Prentis

- John Howell

Against 

- Anneliese Dodds

- Layla Moran

Then it was found in contempt of parliament for refusing to issue the legal advice by 311 for 292 against.

For 

- Anneliese Dodds

- Layla Moran

Against

- John Howell

- Ed Vaizey

- Victoria Prentis

- Robert Courts

Finally, was Mr Grieve's amendment for parliament to be able to come up with its own Brexit strategy if the PM's plan is defeated was approved 319 for, 298 against.

For 

- Ed Vaizey

- Layla Moran

- Anneliese Dodds

Against

- Victoria Prentis

- Robert Courts

- John Howell

Despite his earlier vote, Mr Vaizey supported May's deal as the Commons debate started and attacked his Eurosceptic colleagues for wanting to complain about whatever Brexit deal the PM does. 

The former minister rejected the suggestion a committed Brexiteer would have got a better negotiation with the EU, saying: "I think too many Brexiteers fantasised about what Brexit would look like without confronting the cold reality."

Referring to his fellow Conservatives, he said: "All of you Brexiteers will complain, complain about the Withdrawal Clause, (if) we do crash out with no deal you'll say that nobody prepared for it.

"Nothing is ever the Brexiteers fault."