Ashford MP Damian Green has admitted Britain would be better off staying in the European Union.

The 61-year-old Tory, who became First Secretary of State in June and is Prime Minister Theresa May's top aide, told BBC's Newsnight programme that nobody fought harder for Remain than him.

His comments came just hours after Mrs May repeatedly refused to say whether she would vote to leave the EU if there was a second referendum.

Mr Green – who has been Ashford and Tenterden MP since 1997 – was a prominent campaigner for Remain alongside the Prime Minister during the 2016 referendum.

When asked by journalist Emily Maitlis on Newsnight yesterday whether it would have been better if the UK had opted to stay in the EU, he said "it would have been".

He added: "I was on the board of the Stronger In campaign – nobody fought harder than me for Remain – so I don't resile from my views.

"Nobody fought harder than me for Remain..." - MP Damian Green

"The public took their view, I’m a democrat, I believe that if people have spoken it is the job of democratic politicians to do their best to put in place what people wanted."

Mrs May was asked in an LBC radio interview if she would change her mind if asked to vote again but said there was no point asking how she would vote now.

She told the station: "I voted Remain for good reasons at the time but circumstances move on and I think the important thing now is that we should all be focused on delivering Brexit and delivering the best deal.

"You are asking me to say, 'How would I vote in a vote now', against a different background, a different international background, a different economic background."