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May's team hits back at Cameron's 'lily-livered' claim

Theresa May's supporters have responded to claims that she was described as "lily-livered" by then Prime Minister David Cameron.

Earlier this year, Mr Cameron had wanted an "emergency brake" to convince voters that he could reduce immigration from Europe if Britain stayed in the EU.

But he was prevented by Mrs May - Home Secretary at the time - and Philip Hammond, then Foreign Secretary, according to a new book All out War by Sunday Times political editor Tim Shipman

The book quotes Mr Cameron as saying: "Theresa said very, very little and simply said that we just couldn't go against (German Chancellor Angela) Merkel".

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Mr Cameron was said to have told an official that the move could not be made "without their support", adding: "If it wasn't for my lily-livered cabinet colleagues..."

Mrs May's camp, however, said she had written twice to Mr Cameron - in November 2014 and May last year - to argue the case for an emergency brake on migration from the EU.

In the first she was said to have said it could re-balance the rights of citizens to move within the bloc so governments could act in the best interests of their people.

In the second, she argued the brake was needed to cut numbers and show voters the Government could police Britain's borders.

In the end Mr Cameron dropped plans for the "emergency brake" on immigration at the last minute and announced curbs to migrants' access to welfare in the UK - which was much criticised by the Leave side.

:: Cameron's fury as May 'left him to fight alone' in EU vote - former aide

Mrs May took many weeks to declare whether she was for Leave or Remain, after Mr Cameron allowed Cabinet ministers to campaign either way.

But after choosing Mr Cameron's Remain side - in what was seen as a coup for the prime minister - she was barely visible during the campaign.

She gave just one lukewarm speech in late April, in which she criticised "those that say the sky will fall in if we vote to leave".