THE highly contentious plan by the UK Government to bring forward Westminster’s summer recess looks on the brink of being ditched.

MPs are due to rise for their summer break next Tuesday on July 24 but a UK Government motion tabled on Monday night would see the Commons rise this Thursday, with a vote pencilled in for this evening.

However, Labour and the SNP have instructed their MPs to vote against the move and several pro-European Tories have already indicated they will oppose any attempt to cut short the term with so much work to do on Brexit.

Indeed, the Government body language in the face of mounting opposition is that the motion might not even be put to a vote later on.

Senior Conservative backbencher Sarah Wollaston, who chairs the Commons Health Committee, made clear it would sit as planned next Tuesday.

She tweeted: "I will not be voting for an early recess. @CommonsHealth will be sitting as usual on Tuesday 24th to hear from the Secretary of State."

Pro-EU Tory Phillip Lee, who quit as a minister over Brexit, condemned any thought of an earlier break as "shameful" at a "crucial time".

Pete Wishart, the SNP’s Shadow Leader of the House, noted: “People looking at this will be absolutely and rightly shocked. It is being proposed for one reason and one reason alone and that is to protect the Prime Minister from what looks like her collapsing authority and inability to govern.”

Any early rise of the Commons would mean it would be hard for Tory MPs to stage a vote of confidence in Mrs May and might even deprive Boris Johnson, the former Foreign Secretary, of the opportunity to give a resignation statement in the Commons.

Mr Wishart, the MP for Perth, added: “People already struggling to make ends meet because of the endless austerity will take a dim view of Tories voting an early holiday for themselves when things are crashing down round the government's ears.”

Nicholas Soames and Nick Boles were among Conservative MPs who also indicated on social media that they would oppose the move to finish early. The former, an ex-Armed Forces Minister, suggested the proposal was “idiotic”.

Labour's John McDonnell said such a vote to bring forward the summer recess showed the Government was in "chaos".

The Shadow Chancellor tweeted: "Government's plan to close Parliament on Thursday and send MPs home early for summer is because Theresa May is fearful of Tory MPs hanging around plotting against her. It shows what chaos this Government is in. Let me make it clear that I will be voting against breaking up early."

His colleague, Labour's Paula Sherriff, said she had "important meetings" scheduled for next week and would vote against the move.

She tweeted: "Govt are running scared and using silly tactics to avoid plotting by their own MPs."

Labour backbencher Mary Creagh also threw her weight behind a no vote, saying "this is no time for a holiday", while SNP MP Philippa Whitford accused Mrs May of wanting an early recess "because she is running scared".

Asked whether the Government intended to press ahead with a vote on bringing the recess date forward, Mrs May's spokesman said: "The Government came forward with this proposal following discussions with other parties,” noting how this Friday the Commons was not sitting and next week there was no substantive Government business.

But he stressed: “We are considering all of the representations which have been received."

A Commons motion tabled by Andrea Leadsom, the Leader, on Monday night says "this House at its rising on Thursday 19 July 2018 do adjourn until Tuesday 4 September 2018", without allowing a debate by MPs.