David Davis backs 'formidably good' PM to take back command

Brexit Secretary David Davis has told ITV's Good Morning Britain he remains a "100% unswerving supporter" of the "formidably good prime minister" as he backed her to "take back command" of the country.

Mr Davis criticised those looking to make snap judgements on Theresa May's future in the aftermath of the disastrous snap election as she prepares to face a grilling from backbench Tory MPs.

He said those calling for a change of leadership were "incredibly self indulgent" as he rejected former chancellor George Osborne's description of her as a "dead woman walking".

Mr Davis, who has been touted as a potential successor should Mrs May go, said he was not interested in running for the leadership, a day after touted challenger Boris Johnson called for MPs to support her.

"For 10 months I've worked with this prime minister," he said. "She's a formidably good prime minister. She's good at making decisions.

"There's a distinction between running a campaign and running a country, and she's incredibly good at it.

"And that's what you're going to see. You're going to see in the next few weeks her taking back command, her taking back the reins, what she's good at, which is delivering for the country.

"She's done it before, she'll do it again. And that's why she's going to be there probably for my career at least."

Mrs May will face the Conservatives' backbench 1922 Committee over her failure to preserve the party's majority in last week's election, before resuming talks with the pro-Brexit DUP.

Mr Davis insisted the government's Brexit plan would be unaffected as the Conservatives finalise talks to attempt to command power in Westminster.

David Davis played down the influence of the DUP on social policy. Credit: ITV's Good Morning Britain

"We've been returned with minority government. It's our duty to make it work," he said.

Mr Davis played down the future influence of the Northern Irish party, saying he "guaranteed" their views against same-sex marriage and abortion would not lead to any change in laws.

"We don't adopt their views, we don't adopt their policies," he said.

Mr Davis said Northern Ireland's soft border with Ireland would be preserved after Brexit.

He rejected claims the election result would "soften" the potential exit deal, insisting he didn't make a distinction between hard and soft Brexits.

"I don't recognise this term hard Brexit," he said.

He insisted the vote to Leave had been a vote to "control of our borders" which "takes us out of the single market whether we like it or not".