General Election 2017: Theresa May 'not concerned' about Tory lead narrowing in opinion polls

Theresa May has insisted she is not concerned about the Tory opinion poll lead narrowing as she sought to recover from a U-turn over her flagship social care reforms.

The Prime Minister, who has seen a double-digit margin eroded in recent surveys but still enjoys a lead over Labour, said the only poll that counts is on June 8.

But in a major set-piece interview with the BBC's Andrew Neil she was challenged over the announcement that a cap on social care costs would now be included in her plans, having previously been ruled out.

"There's only one poll that counts in any election campaign," she said.

"That's the one that takes place on June 8 when people have actually cast their votes, when they have made that choice, which is a crucial choice.

"I think this genuinely is the most crucial election I have seen in my lifetime because it is about getting Brexit negotiations right, getting the right deal for Britain from Europe and going beyond that, a plan for a stronger vision for the future."

She added: "I have never taken anything for granted in this election."

Mrs May, who repeated her "strong and stable" leadership slogan despite the reversal on social care policy, denied her manifesto was "uncosted and half-baked".

She said: "No, what we have set out in our manifesto is a series of policies which address what I see and I think are the five great challenges that we face as a country."

Mrs May sought to highlight the looming Brexit negotiations as a reason to vote Tory rather than Labour.

"There's only going to be a choice between two people as to who's sitting opposite those 27 European countries, me or Jeremy Corbyn," she said.

Challenged about the social care U-turn, Mrs May said: "What I've done today is I've seen the scaremongering, frankly, that we've seen over the weekend. I've seen the way that Jeremy Corbyn wants to sneak into Number 10 by playing on the fears of older and vulnerable people, and I've clarified what we will be putting in the green paper which I set out in the manifesto."

Mrs May also denied that she would step down during the next term if elected.

She said: "I will definitely stay for the next Parliament. Beyond that, Andrew - I mean this is - I haven't got through this election yet. I'm focusing on this election. It's really important. It's the most crucial in my lifetime, it's about the future of our country and who people trust to take us forward in the future."

Additional reporting by Press Association.