PM 'picks UKIP words carefully'

The Prime Minister David Cameron said the next election will be a straight fight between red and blue.

Speaking to ITV News earlier he defended his government's welfare reforms, pledged to promote more women to his front bench, and responded to his description of UKIP voters as "closet racists, loonies and fruitcakes."

Watch his full interview with ITV News presenter Julie Etchingham below.

Read: I don't get to pick next Tory Prime Minister

Read: David Cameron defends 'bedroom tax'

David Cameron has told ITV News anchor Julie Etchingham that Lady Thatcher's policies have helped the Conservative Party:

Read more: Who has been invited to Lady Thatcher's funeral?

Prime Minister David Cameron said he did not know who the "next Thatcher" coming through the Conservative Party ranks would be. Challenged by ITV News Presenter Julie Etchingham about the number of women on his front bench he said:

"I absolutely want to, I have appointed some excellent women to the front bench, and I want to do more of that."

Read: PM 'I don't get the pick the next Tory Prime Minister

Prime Minister David Cameron told ITV News he would choose his words carefully on the subject of UKIP and their recent election success.

Read: PM I will choose my words carefully over UKIP

Asked if Theresa May could be the next female Prime Minister, David Cameron told ITV News: "I think we are lucky that we have got a lot of talent on the Conservative benches.

"One of the things that struck me, because I sat in that debate, is I heard some incredibly talented politicians, some of them only arrived in Parliament in 2010, with fascinating stories to tell. I don't get to pick the next Conservative leader or the next Conservative Prime Minister."

He said he wanted to appoint more women to the front bench and said it was "really important we demonstrate this is a modern party, putting its best talent into the top jobs".

Asked if he still thought that UKIP voters are "closest racists, loonies and fruitcakes" the Prime Minister told ITV News: "We live in a competitive, political world and people make their choices. I'll choose my words carefully. I want people to support my party.

"I'll let people make up their own minds but at the end of the day, at the next election there is going to be a very straight choice. It will be a red, blue choice."

The Prime Minister vigorously defended his so-called controversial 'bedroom tax' in an interview with ITV News. Asked if it was fair that children "bear the brunt of this kind of policy", he said:

"There is a human impact on the entire country that we currently spend £23 billion a year on housing benefit, that is more, to put it in context than we spend on the entire transport and home office budgets.

"We only spend £33 billion on our entire defence system for the UK. So it's not sustainable to go on with a housing benefit system and a benefit system."

Read: What is the government's controversial 'bedroom tax'?

The Prime Minister will visit the West Midlands today as he resumes his local election campaign following the death of Margaret Thatcher.

Put your questions to the PM

From Baroness Thatcher to banking, from Syria to social housing, the Prime Minister has agreed to answer your questions on any subject.

Please send them with your name and where you are from to yourstory@itn.co.uk

We'll publish his answers tomorrow.