Theresa May 'called David Cameron to beg for his support' over DUP deal

'She trashed him in the campaign and now has to go cap in hand,' says source

The phone call is understood to have taken place a day before the £1bn agreement was reached (Getty)

Theresa May reportedly called David Cameron to plead for his support shortly before she struck a controversial deal with the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP).

The phone call – allegedly the first conservation between the pair in months – is understood to have taken place last Sunday, just a day before the £1bn agreement was finalised.

The alleged conversation came as the PM faced heavy criticism for aligning the Conservatives with the hard-right Northern Irish group, which opposes gay marriage and abortion.

Ms May will rely on 10 DUP MPs to prop up her minority Government on a vote-by-vote basis.

Shortly after noon on Monday Mr Cameron wrote on Twitter: “Task facing PM, given the circs, is to deliver the most stable govt possible – today’s DUP deal helps achieve that. All Cons should support.”

The tweet was a result of Ms May's pleading phone call, The Times reported.

One source close to Mr Cameron told the newspaper: “Doesn’t Theresa realise what this looks like? She trashed him in the campaign, has barely spoken to him since becoming Prime Minister and now has to go cap in hand for his support.”

Ms May had distanced herself from Mr Cameron's administration when she entered office. She sacked a number of his advisers and pledged to run a “different” campaign at the general election.

On Sunday, newly appointed Environment Secretary Michael Gove said the Conservatives' agreement with the DUP was good for the country because it kept the Conservatives in power.

He denied that the £1bn payment was a “bung” and said everyone would benefit from the deal because it meant Ms May could continue to deliver a “secure and stable Government”.

“I think there is one only way in which we could have a secure Government in this country and that’s with Theresa May as Prime Minister,” he told BBC1’s Andrew Marr Show.

With support from the DUP the Government has a working majority of 13 when the Speaker is included and Sinn Fein refrain from taking their seats. The arithmetic in the House of Commons means the Conservatives can also win any vote if the DUP MPs abstain and do not vote against them.