MPs have succeeded in the first stage of their bid to block a no-deal Brexit without the consent of Parliament. 

Hilary Benn’s EU Withdrawal (No. 6) Bill passed its third reading in the House of Commons by 327-299. 

Speaking immediately after the vote, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the bill 'handed power to the EU and now the country must decide'.

He immediately tabled a motion under the Fixed Term Parliament Act to call a general election on October 15.

But after a 90 minute debate, only 298 MPs voted for an election, with 56 voting against - which meant that the two thirds majority required under the FTPA was not achieved and an election cannot take place.

Many MPs had gone home before the vote, with Labour deciding to abstain.

The Benn bill requires the government to either reach a deal with the EU by 19 October or gain Parliament’s approval for a no-deal Brexit by 19 October, and if it can't, ask for a three month extension from the EU.

This Bill will stop Boris Johnson forcing through a reckless and damaging no deal Brexit on 31 October. This week could be Parliament’s last chance to stop a no deal Brexit.

An amendment to Hilary Benn's bill from Labour's Stephen Kinnock and Sarah Champion - which gives MPs a final chance to get Theresa May's deal through the House of Commons as an alternative - was also accepted, because the government didn't send tellers to count the opposing votes.

What that means, effectively is that if there is no new deal, and no-deal is not approved by Parliament, the extension required by the Benn bill has to be used to try to pass a version of Theresa May's deal (rather than hold a second referendum). 

The amendment in the name of Stephen Kinnock didn’t have a vote as the Government didn’t provide tellers to count. This meant the amendment went through although the No Lobby was full. This wasn’t an accident you can be assured there’s some skullduggery going on

Does this mean No-Deal isn't going to happen? 

The bill now has to pass the House of Lords and be given Royal Assent before it becomes law. The convention is that the unelected Lords don't block legislation passed by the elected commons, but pro-Brexit peers have threatened to fillibuster the bill by debating it for so long it cannot be passed in time.

Many peers have been seen carrying duvets into the House today in preparation for it to be a long session. 

What about Boris Johnson?

Boris Johnson has alternative options to get an election. He could call for a vote of no confidence in himself in an attempt to force an election that way, or he could simply resign. But he says he won't do either of those things.

He could table legislation overriding the Fixed Term Parliament Act to order an election which would only require a majority of one - but he no longer has a majority since expelling all the rebel Tory MPs.

Labour and the SNP have said they will only vote for a general election once the Hilary Benn bill to stop no-deal is law.

In a poll of Newsquest readers across all our titles today, an overwhelming majority said there needed to be a general election.