Theresa May's LBC Brexit phone-in: Angry voters accuse PM over 'failed middle ground'

Theresa May was accused of trying to find a "middle ground" on Brexit that has not worked in a fiery clash with voters on LBC this morning.

A local councillor named Daniel in Louth was the first caller to confront the Prime Minister on Nick Ferrari's LBC show.

He asked her: "Why do you think you should stay on as PM?"

Mrs May talked around the issue and did not respond to this question directly but said the Brexit deal was "the best possible for the UK".

"We are leaving the EU on March 29," she said.

Daniel said he "commended" the PM for trying to strike a Brexit deal with the EU but "sadly that has not worked".

And he asked her: "Please Prime Minister, tell me why do you think you should stay on as PM when you have failed - despite your no doubt honourable intentions - to (deliver on) the referendum result?

"If you cannot do that, I respectfully ask you to do the right thing in the national interest and stand down to allow someone from the Brexit camp to take the lead. There is still time to sort this out."

Mrs May responded by going through details of the draft withdrawal agreement.

"You're absolutely right that for a lot of people who voted Leave, what they wanted to do was make sure that decisions on things like who can come into this country would be taken by us here in the UK, and not by Brussels, and that's exactly what the deal I've negotiated delivers," she said.

A caller named Michael in Derry then asked her about the future of Northern Ireland.

Mrs May could not guarantee she had the support of the DUP, who prop up her minority Government, in the meaningful vote, but insisted she was still working with the DUP.

Asked whether DUP leader Arlene Foster had withdrawn support, she said: "I haven't had a testy exchange with Arlene on that."

LBC presenter Nick Ferrari pushed: "And they'll vote for this deal?"

Mrs May said: "When this vote comes back every individual MP will decide how they will vote, whether they are DUP, Conservative, Labour, all parties within the House of Commons.

"My job is to persuade first and foremost my Conservative benches, those who are working with us - the DUP are working with us, obviously, confidence and supply - but I want to be able to say to every MP I believe this is the best deal for the UK."

Asked on LBC Radio whether she had spoken to Environment Secretary Michael Gove about his future in the Government, Mrs May said: "I had a very good conversation with Michael yesterday actually."

Mrs May said she had discussed the fishing industry with Mr Gove but, asked whether she had offered him the job of Brexit Secretary, she replied: "I don't talk about things to do with the Cabinet reshuffle.

"I haven't appointed a new Brexit Secretary yet, but obviously I will be doing that over the course of the next day or so."

Julia, from Llanelli in Wales, called LBC to ask Mrs May about whether she would still be able to access her medicine.

She said: "I'm disabled, I'm bedridden, I take lots of medicines and need appliances to keep me alive so I can be with my family.

"How long will sick people have to be worrying whether they're getting their medicines?"

Mrs May said contingency plans were under way to maintain supply even in the event of a no-deal.

She said: "The Department of Health is making sure medicines will continue to be available.

"It is making proper contingencies to make sure if there are problems at the border that medicines can still get through and are available for people."

She was later asked whether people would be wise to put bets on Mr Gove getting the job. Her response to presenter Nick Ferrari was: "I've always made it a sort of rule in my life that I don't bet on anything to do with politics. I would advise you not to either."

She was asked whether she would give her ministers a free vote when the Brexit deal comes before Parliament. She said: "There is Cabinet collective responsibility in this country. Government policy is Government policy.

"There is Cabinet responsibility. The Government will put its policy to the House of Commons."

Earlier, Environment Secretary Michael Gove made no comments about his future to reporters as he left his home, saying only "good morning" repeatedly.

Mrs May is braced for more Cabinet resignations after struggling through a chaotic day of fallout over divorce deal yesterday.

This story is being updated