A Sussex MP was the first Conservative rebel to write to the party’s 1922 Committee to say he has lost confidence in Theresa May following her Brexit announcement.

The Prime Minister spoke at Number 10 after a bruising day in the House of Commons. Cabinet members including Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab resigned against her Brexit "deal".

Meanwhile Crawley MP Henry Smith was the first to publicly write to the 1922 Committee.

In his letter of no confidence to committee chairman Sir Graham Brady MP, he wrote: "With regret, I have lost confidence in Theresa May as Leader of the Conservative Party and British Prime Minister, and request the relevant procedures put in place in accordance with the 1922 Committee rules."

Theresa May has said she will stick it out, despite rumours that she will now face a leadership challenge from her Conservative MPs. She says her opponents have no alternative to her plan.

Sussex MPs and councillors have said the PM has doomed the Brexit deal.

Labour MP for Hove and Portslade Peter Kyle tweeted: "I understand the urge to feel sorry for the PM after her humiliation today. But don’t forget she painted herself into this corner, no one else did.

"If there was a vote today she’d have lost overwhelmingly. The only way forward is a vote on the facts, not promises #PeoplesVote.

"The PM believes this deal is good with every fibre of her being. Proof that she cannot be trusted to deliver a decent deal, her judgement is appalling.

"The fact she says this now away from the Commons and with no public in the room is also reminiscent of her election bravery too."

Conservative MP for Lewes Maria Caulfield said: “the British people deserve better than bad solutions to a myth”.

In the Times she wrote: “It would be the worst possible outcome from the negotiations for our country, our democracy, the Conservative Party and the millions who voted leave the EU in 2016.”

Leader of Brighton and Hove City Council, Labour Councillor Daniel Yates said: “This is certainly, in my lifetime, being one of the most significant circumstances the PM has appeared to lose confidence for her own cabinet.

“Now we are just waiting to hear her next steps, perhaps call on a general election.

“The Conservatives have elected a PM on a false promise that she is able to deliver and the Brexit deal. She didn’t handle the deal well and she didn’t keep her own government because she has lost about 20 ministers in the last two years.

“It’s a disaster for Brighton and Hove residents, the last thing they want to see is the British economy being decimated by forcing through a deal for our economy.”

Brighton MP Caroline Lucas said: "Caroline Lucas, Green MP for Brighton Pavilion tweeted: “Risks of political gridlock over #Brexit deal will be shouldered not by MPs, but by the people we represent. “Those risks can only be mitigated if MPs put conscience before party politics and party whips - and support a #PeoplesVote on what happens next.”

MP for Kemptown and Peacehaven, Lloyd Russell-Moyle, said: "The deal is trash it give up power, divides up the UK, binds us to Europe with less say.

"May is a dead women walking, her party don't support her, the country doesn't support her and she must go.

"It's clear that there's no option that will live up to the six fantasy leaver promises so Labour will vote down the deal and I say we need to go back to the people if not in a general election then a third referendum in a people's vote.

"If there's a People’s vote Jeremy and John have made clear in the argus itself that we would campaign and he would vote for remain.

"As someone who has German family, who has lived in Belgium and who was an ardent remainer I will do everything tonprotext Brighton keeling it as close to the EU as possible and the best deal is membership."