THERESA May’s Government limped over the line at Westminster to pass its first major parliamentary test but only after making a major concession on abortion funding to avoid a humiliating defeat.

The Prime Minister, who was forced to cut short a meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin to be in the Commons, sat on the Government front-bench as the result of the main vote was read out: 323 votes to 306; a majority of just 14.

Analysis: the cave-in on the Northern Ireland abortion issue illustrates Theresa May's fragility

Jeremy Corbyn said Mrs May was presiding over a “government in chaos,” which had “survived by the skin of their teeth” thanks to the support of the Democratic Unionists’ 10 MPs.

“The Conservatives are all over the place on Brexit with ministers contradicting each other,” declared the Labour leader.

“On public sector pay, they say one thing and then do another, voting yesterday to continue cutting the pay of our nurses, firefighters, police and other public sector workers. And today, they were forced to finally promise that women from Northern Ireland will no longer have to pay for abortions on the NHS under opposition and public pressure.

“This Government is out of control with no mandate for continued cuts to our schools, hospitals, police and other vital public services or for a race-to-the-bottom Brexit. Labour will oppose these policies every step of the way,” added Mr Corbyn.

Analysis: the cave-in on the Northern Ireland abortion issue illustrates Theresa May's fragility

But the Labour leader faced his own rebellion by scores of his party’s MPs.

He was forced to assert his authority by sacking three frontbenchers who defied the Labour whips’ order to abstain on an amendment, tabled by Chukka Umunna, the former shadow business secretary, which called for the retention of membership of the European single market and customs union. Another frontbencher, who also supported the amendment, resigned.

A total of 49 Labour MPs, including Ian Murray, the MP for Edinburgh South, defied Mr Corbyn and voted in favour of the Umunna amendment, which was defeated by 322 votes to 101; a majority of 221.

With the SNP and Liberal Democrats backing his amendment, Mr Umunna said pro-European MPs from all parties would continue to fight against a "hard Brexit".

But James Cleverly, the Tory backbencher, accused Labour of being “in total chaos” over Britain’s EU withdrawal.

“There is deep division at the heart of the Labour Party on the most crucial issue facing the country today; they still can’t agree on the fundamentals and would get the worst Brexit deal at the highest price,” claimed the Essex MP.

Analysis: the cave-in on the Northern Ireland abortion issue illustrates Theresa May's fragility

A separate Labour amendment to the Queen's Speech, complaining about the Tory Government’s failure to end austerity, reverse falling living standards and make society more equal, was also defeated by 323 votes to 297; a majority of 26.

However, the drama of the day came when, during the final of six days of debate, the Government faced a Commons defeat because Tory MPs were signalling support for an amendment tabled by Labour’s Stella Creasy, calling for "adequate funding" to ensure that women in Northern Ireland, where abortions are largely illegal, could have free access to them in England.

The Government moved quickly with Chancellor Philip Hammond telling MPs it was now the Government’s intention to fund the abortions on the NHS in England. Around 800 women a year travel from Northern Ireland to pay up to £2,000 for their abortions on the British mainland.

The DUP has previously said it wanted no extension to Northern Ireland's strict limitations on terminations, which restrict the procedure to when a woman's life is at risk or there is a permanent or serious risk to her mental or physical health.

As it stands, fatal foetal abnormalities, rape and incest are not grounds for an abortion.

On Wednesday during the Queen's Speech debate, when Ms Creasy, a London MP, raised the issue of charging for abortion, the DUP’s Ian Paisley, who represents North Antrim, told the Commons: "This is not a matter for Belfast; it is a matter for NHS England".

During yesterday's Commons debate, Mr Hammond offered assurances that funding would be provided.

His colleague Justine Greening, the women and equalities minister, sent a letter to MPs, saying: "Following discussions with the Department of Health, we will ensure these payments will be funded through the Government Equalities Office with additional funding.

"This will mean no English health service user is disadvantaged as a result of this change."

In light of the Government move, Ms Creasy withdrew her amendment, thanking those MPs, who had "supported the rights of Northern Irish women to have equal access to abortion”.