Prime Minister Theresa May has told MPs there is a "substantial and sustainable" majority in the Commons for leaving the European Union with a deal but admitted renegotiation "will not be easy".

Following the result, Mrs May said she now had a mandate to take back for further negotiations with the EU.

She said: "Tonight a majority of members have said they would support a deal with changes to the backstop combined with measures to address concerns over Parliament's role in the negotiation of the future relationship and commitments on workers' rights in law where need be.

"It's now clear there is a route that can secure a substantial and sustainable majority in this House for leaving the EU with a deal.

"We will now take this mandate forward and seek to obtain legally binding changes to the Withdrawal Agreement that deal with concerns on the backstop while guaranteeing no return to a hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland."

Jeremy Corbyn said because the Spelman amendment had passed he was now willing to meet Mrs May for talks on the Brexit next steps.

READ MORE: Brexit debate: MPs vote for Withdrawal Agreement if Irish border backstop replaced 

The Labour leader said: "Now that the House has voted emphatically to reject the no deal option the Prime Minister was supporting could I say we are now prepared to meet her to put forward the points of view from the Labour Party of the kind of deal we want from the European Union.

"To protect jobs, to protect livings standards, and to protect rights and conditions in this country."

Mrs May said it was also clear there was a majority against a no deal Brexit and invited opposition MPs to meet her to discuss how to reach consensus.

"As well as making clear it needs to approve the Withdrawal Agreement, the House has also reconfirmed its view it does not want to leave the EU without a Withdrawal Agreement future framework.

"I agree we should not leave without a deal, however simply opposing no deal is not enough to stop it.

"The Government will now redouble its efforts to get a deal this House can support."

n a dramatic series of votes, MPs rejected two proposals to delay Brexit by extending the two-year Article 50 negotiation process if Mrs May was unable to secure an acceptable agreement by February 26.

And they also voted down a plan by former attorney general Dominic Grieve for a sequence of "indicative votes" to establish MPs' preferred Brexit outcome.

The pound dipped sharply after the failure of the attempts to delay Brexit, losing around 0.7% against both the US dollar and euro, though there were indications later that it may be rising.

CBI director general Carolyn Fairbairn described it as "another deeply frustrating day for British business".

"The Brady amendment feels like a throw of the dice," she said.

"It won't be worth the paper it is written on if it cannot be negotiated with the EU. Any renegotiation must happen quickly - succeed or fail fast."

Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson dismissed Mr Tusk's statement, telling Sky News: "There is a negotiation going on. You would expect him to say that. But believe me the EU has every incentive to give us the deal we need."

But the Irish Government said in a statement: "The Withdrawal Agreement is not open for re-negotiation.

"The agreement is a carefully negotiated compromise, which balances the UK position on customs and the single market with avoiding a hard border and protecting the integrity of the EU customs union and single market.

"The best way to ensure an orderly withdrawal is to ratify this agreement."