Chris Patten says mistakes of two Tory Prime Ministers have left country in 'a hell of a mess'

Former Conservative party chairman has said the mistakes of Theresa May and David Cameron have left Britain in a "hell of a mess".

Lord Chris Patten said the two Tory Prime Ministers' "calamitious errors" had plunged the country into a crisis that was "worse than Suez".

Speaking on ITV's Peston on Sunday, Lord Patten said: "I think it's the worse time since Suez, though maybe even worse than that because Suez was the end of an era, the end of our colonial aspirations.

"The European Union was our replacement for that colonial role and thanks to the calamitous errors of two Conservative Prime Ministers in a row, who thought they could manage the unmanageable - the English nationalist, ring-wing of the Conservative party - we're in this hell of a mess."

The last Governor of Hong Kong also described the DUP as a "toxic brand".

"The Conservative Party has got itself back in a situation where there is a danger of it looking like the nasty party - to borrow from Theresa May... And how that's improved by ganging up with the DUP?"

Asked about Mrs May's apparent unease with the public during the General Election campaign, Lord Patten said being a politician and not being a 'people person' was like "becoming a doctor and not liking the sight of blood".

"It's very odd that people go into politics and, unlike somebody like Bill Clinton, don't actually like people very much."