A defiant Theresa May is facing down Tory calls to resign over her “abject surrender” to Brussels on Brexit as Nicola Sturgeon called for an inter-governmental summit to plan the way ahead on Britain's withdrawal from the EU.

Just hours after another bruising European Council when EU leaders agreed to a six-month extension to Hallowe’en, a weary-looking Prime Minister took to the Commons dispatch box to make clear she was determined to see Brexit through despite the continuing difficulties.

However, Mrs May was met by a wave of Conservative fury, expressed most keenly by veteran Eurosceptic Sir Bill Cash, who asked if she appreciated the “anger that her abject surrender last night has generated across the country?”

Accusing the PM of breaking the promise she made 100 times not to delay Brexit, the Staffordshire MP asked: “Does she also accept that this Withdrawal Agreement undermines our democracy, the constitutional status of Northern Ireland, our right to govern ourselves, our control over our laws, and our national interest? Will she resign?”

Mrs May replied: “You know the answer to that,” stressing how she had voted for Britain to leave the EU on March 29 and May 22 but, sadly, not enough colleagues had done the same, so an extension was required to enable MPs to agree on a deal.

Leading Tory Brexiteer Mark Francois accused the PM of "sheer obstinacy" by agreeing to another extension despite her several failures to get her Withdrawal Agreement passed while his fellow Conservative Eurosceptic Peter Bone asked Mrs May how she would “honour her commitment” from last month when she suggested she would not stay in No 10 if Britain remained in the EU beyond June 30.

In response, the PM declared: “This House and I can honour that commitment by voting for a deal that enables us to leave before June 30.”

During Commons exchanges, she received some encouragement when her Tory colleague Sarah Newton urged Mrs May to “ignore the bullies on our backbenches and stick to your guns and deliver that Brexit…in our manifesto”.

While Tory rules make clear the party leader cannot be challenged until December following her confidence motion victory before Christmas, David Davis, the former Brexit Secretary, insisted in the wake of the EU summit the “pressure on her to go will increase dramatically”.

The Yorkshire MP said it was difficult to see how his colleague could remain as PM by the time of the autumn Conservative conference given the forthcoming European elections would be a “plebiscite on Brexit”.

Mr Davis noted: “I suspect you will see a very successful rise of a sort of Brexit movement, the Nigel Farage thing. That will be…very difficult for her. So, the pressure on her will grow."

But Andrew Bowie, the West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine Conservative, rallied to Mrs May’s defence, telling The Herald: “The PM is not going anywhere until this process is done. She is determined to see it through and is putting the national interest first.”

The backbencher, who is the PM’s Parliamentary Private Secretary, added: “It’s not in the national interest to open up a divisive, self-serving leadership election. The country does not want it and does not need it. The PM wants the UK to leave in good order and to respect the wishes of the people who voted in the referendum.”

During her Commons statement, Mrs May appealed to MPs to come together to pass a Brexit deal.

"We need to resolve this so we can leave the EU with a deal as soon as possible. This is our national duty as elected members of this House and nothing today is more pressing or more vital."

Jeremy Corbyn claimed a second delay in leaving the EU within a fortnight represented “not only a diplomatic failure but it is another milestone in the Government's mishandling of the entire Brexit process".

Ian Blackford for the SNP declared: “Scotland will not support a Brexit deal cooked up by the Brexit-supporting Labour and Tory Parties.”

He pushed Mrs May to reveal if a second referendum had been offered during the Con-Lab talks. She replied it had not but noted how MPs could press their case for one when legislation to implement Brexit came forward.

Commenting on the Con-Lab talks, the PM acknowledged reaching agreement would “not be easy" as it would require compromise on both sides but she insisted it was in the "national interest" to try.

"This is not the normal way of British politics and it is uncomfortable for many in both the Government and opposition parties," she acknowledged.

"But however challenging it may be politically, I profoundly believe in this unique situation where the House is deadlocked, it is incumbent on both front benches to seek to work together to deliver what the British people voted for.”

The Labour leader said his party would continue to engage "constructively" in the negotiations, which were "serious, detailed and ongoing". But he warned ministers would have to compromise if they were to succeed.

Contact between party officials engaged in the Con-Lab talks continued on Thursday and were followed by a “short meeting” between the PM and Mr Corbyn. Frontbenchers from both sides are due to resume talks on Friday.

However, a No 10 spokesman noted that while the talks had been constructive, they would not continue "for the sake of it".

Government sources confirmed the next effective deadline to get a Commons deal was May 22, the day before voting begins in the European elections. While a parliamentary order has been laid for Britain to take part in the poll and parties are preparing to fight the elections, if MPs backed a deal before polling day, then the plug would be pulled on them immediately.

Following the granting of a new six-month extension, the First Minister wrote to Mrs May, saying it was a welcome development but the “gift of more time” had to be used wisely to “reset” the UK Government’s approach.

This should involve the convening of an “urgent cross-party and cross-administration discussion to agree how to use the time we have been given”.

Ms Sturgeon told the PM: “Your ongoing talks with the Leader of the Opposition should now broaden to include other parties, the devolved administrations, business and civic society, and open up the range of options on the table to reach a genuine consensus.”

The FM argued if such talks were to stand any chance of success the UK Government had to recognise it was “essential for Scotland, at the very least, to stay inside the single market and continue to benefit from freedom of movement”.

She added any agreed deal must be put to another referendum with Remain on the ballot paper. “The extension to October 31 provides enough time to do this and it is essential no time is lost in making the necessary preparations.”

But a UK Government spokeswoman replied: “There are already regular discussions at all levels between the UK and Scottish Government ahead of the UK’s exit from the EU to discuss the next steps in delivering Brexit in a smooth and orderly way.”

On Thursday, David Lidington, Mrs May’s de facto deputy, spoke to Michael Russell, the Scottish Government’s Constitutional Relations Secretary, to update him on the emergency European Council.

On Friday, Nigel Farage’s new Brexit Party is due to launch in Coventry.