Boris Johnson denies he is considering a leadership bid

Boris Johnson has has denied that he is considering a leadership challenge as he insisted he was backing the the Prime Minister.

The Foreign Secretary also warned fellow Conservative MPs to "calm down and get behind the Prime Minister," in WhatsApp messages seen by ITV News.

Today he said Theresa May got the biggest mandate for the party in decades and it was "absolutely right" she should form a government.

Messages sent by Mr Johnson to fellow Conservative MPs also emerged today, in which he praised Mr May as a "woman of extraordinary qualities" and told them not to undermine her leadership.

He added "frankly the public are looking to us to get behind her with discipline and determination".

Mr Johnson has been seen as a likely contender to replace Mrs May if she steps down in the near future, with some suggesting that he may already be making preparatory moves for a leadership bid.

It comes as former cabinet Nicky Morgan