Question Time leaders special: Theresa May told she 'called election for Tories and it's going to backfire'

Prime Minister faces public in quick-fire grilling

Theresa May has been confronted by a Question Time audience member who accused her of calling the general election "for the good of the Conservative Party".

On the BBC's leaders' special episode the Prime Minister faced an early barrage of tough questions from members of the public in York.

One man told her: "Your party called the European referendum for the good of the Conservative Party, you've called a general election for the good of the Conservative Party and it's going to backfire on you."

Ms May replied: "I called a general election because I believe that the British people have a right to vote and to say who they want to see leading them through the Brexit negotiations.

"And I believe they should have a Prime Minister who has an absolutely resolute determination to respect their will.

"My party is the only party that is going to respect the will of the British people, get on with the job and deliver a successful Brexit."

It would have been easy for her instead to have sat in Number 10 for a full term after she took over from David Cameron, Ms May added.

The Question Time audience was comprised of one-third Labour supporters, one-third Conservative supporters, and one-third undecideds, David Dimbleby announced at the start of the programme.