Election 2017: Damian Green denies rumours he will replace Philip Hammond as Chancellor in June

'He is doing a great job...and I’m sure will continue to do so after the election'

Conservative MP Damian Green has quashed rumours he is set to replace Philip Hammond as Chancellor of the Exchequer after June’s general election.

The Welfare Minister denied he was being lined up for the Treasury role, despite growing speculation in recent weeks a rift has emerged between Prime Minister Theresa May and Mr Hammond.

Speaking on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show, Mr Green said: “Philip Hammond is doing a great job as Chancellor and I’m sure will continue to do so after the election.”

It comes after Ms May refused to confirm the Chancellor would stay on in her cabinet after the general election.

At a joint press conference last week the Chancellor dismissed reports of a rift between him and the Prime Minister as media “tittle-tattle”.

However Ms May twice failed to confirm that he would stay on if the Conservatives return to government after 8 June.

Ms May said she was “very happy” to “endorse” Mr Hammond but shied away from actually pledging to keep him in the post.

She added: “We’ve worked together over the years for many years, longer than we could care to identify. That’s an age-related comment, nothing else, just in case you try and relate anything into that.”

Rumours of a split between the pair emerged after the Government took a sharp U-turn on Mr Hammond’s plans to raise National Insurance for self-employed workers just days after he delivered his Budget.