Tory chief whip Julian Smith is under mounting pressure to QUIT after Tory MP accuses him of LYING to Theresa May and cheating in knife-edge Brexit vote

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Theresa May's chief whip is today under mounting pressure to quit after he was accused of lying to the Prime Minister over the Brexit vote cheating row.

A Tory MP claims that Julian Smith told him and several others to break their pact and take part in the knife-edge customs union vote on Tuesday night.

It means the MPs would be breaking a parliamentary procedure which sees 'paired' with opposition MPs so they do not vote - effectively cancelling out each other's votes. 

Most of the group ignored the request and stuck to their promise - which allows MPs who are pregnant, sick and new mothers to stay at home and not take part in votes. 

Tory MP Brandon Lewis went ahead and voted as instructed - but whips insisted it was an honest mistake and they never intended for the pairing deal to be broken. 

But in an explosive fresh twist, a Tory MP who was paired has told The Sun: 'Julian told me I was needed and told me to come in and vote. Of course he knew I was paired.

'I didn't vote and honoured my pair, and he demanded to know why not afterwards. It then appears Julian told the Prime Minister it was all an innocent mistake.'

The furious MP added: 'What happened was unacceptable. We cannot behave like this'. 

A Tory MP claims that Julian Smith (pictured)  told him and several others to break their pact and take part in the knife-edge customs union vote on Tuesday night.

His explosive allegations come after Lib Dem MP Jo Swinson revealed that her pair - Mr Lewis - broke his promise and voted on the crucial showdown.

Ms Swinson, who is at home on maternity leave with her newborn son Gabriel,  tore into the Tories for breaking their promise to her.  

Mr Smith and Mr Lewis issued grovelling apologies for the blunder - and insisted it was an honest mistake. 

Ian Lavery MP, chairman of the Labour Party ,demanded an apology to the Commons.

He said: 'The Tories' story is changing by the minute as they desperately scramble to cover up their appalling actions. This Government is rotten to its core. 

'Julian Smith and Brandon Lewis must now resign or be sacked, and Theresa May must apologise for misleading the House.' 

yesterday, Mrs May struck a contrite tone in PMQs  - insisting that the pairing rules will not be broken again.

She told the Commons: 'It was not good enough and it will not be repeated.' 

But today's explosive claims will raise questions about exactly what instructions Mr Smith - the PM's chief enforcer of party discipline - gave to the group of Conservatives.

Mr Smith is said to have piled pressure on the MPs on Tuesday as the crucial vote on amendment which would have tried to keep the UK in an EU customs union neared. 

Tory bosses were terrified a Tory Remainer rebellion would inflict a humiliating defeat on the PM - leaving her Brexit plans and leadership in tatters.

In the end the Government squeaked home by just six votes - helped across the line by Mr Lewis' ballot and the backing of a handful of Labour Leavers. 

Earlier today a furious Commons showdown erupted over the row - with Labour MP Wes Streeting saying the Government 'cannot be trusted'.

Raising the row in the Chamber, the MP for Ilford North, he lashed ministers and said Andrea Leadsom - a Cabinet Minister and leader of the Commons - 'may have been set up to mislead, however inadvertently, the House'.

Jo Swinson (pictured with her partner Duncan Hames, her son Andrew and newborn son Gabriel ) is at home on maternity leave. She accuse d the Tories of cheating by braking an agreement  to stop one of their MPs  voting in last night's crunch Brexit showdown so that she could stay home with her newborn on maternity leave 

Theresa May (pictured in the Commons yesterday ) also struck a contrite tone - insisting that the blunder will not happen again.

His furious ttirade was met wiytjh nagry jeers and shouts of 'shame' from the Tory benches.

But the Labour MP hit back, saying: 'Before people heckle....some silence and humility is required.

'Because the idea that pregnant and new others will be cheated out of their voting representation to save the skin of this shambolic government is an absolute disgrace disgrace and an affront to the house...this government, with it's shambolic record, cannot be trusted.'

Mrs Leadsom hit back branding his words 'absolutely abhorrent'.

She added: 'I have made it absolutely clear my personal commitment to resolving this issue so that new parents can spend time with their new babies uninterrupted

that was an error that ha s been copiously and profusely apologise for, and the honourable gentleman should be ashamed of himself.' 

Ms Swinson is demanding that Parliament's rules are overhauled so mothers on maternity leave can get another MP to vote on their behalf.

Writing on Twitter, Ms Swinson said: 'Just how low will your Government stoop Theresa May?

The Lib Dem Mp said the blunder could not have been an honest mistake - but was intentional cheating

Tory chief whip Julian Smith also apologised - but his apology was snubbed by Lib Dem Jo Swinson

Tory chairman Brandon Lewis apologised on Twitter, but many doubted if he was telling the truth

Jo Swinson - who is tipped as a future Lib Dem leader - accused the Tories if cheating in a series of furious Twitter posts 

'When Andrea Leadsom delayed proxy voting motions, she assured those of us who were pregannt that we wold be paoired when necessary.

'Today your Government broke that agreement - Brandon Lewis paired with me bit voted. Desperate stuff.

'This is calculated, deliberate breaking of trust by whips and chief whip Julian Smith to win at all costs.

'Brandon abstained in afternoon divisions, but voted in the two crunch votes after 6pm. There's a word for it – cheating.'