HARWICH and North Essex MP Bernard Jenkin has told former Chancellor George Osborne to “shut up” after he described Prime Minister Theresa May as a “dead woman walking”.

Mr Osborne, who was sacked by Mrs May before resigning as an MP, made the comments on the Andrew Marr Show in the wake of Thursday’s election result which saw the Conservatives lose their majority.

It led to questions over whether Theresa May could remain as leader of the party.

But Mr Jenkin warned Conservatives any division would lead to a Labour government.

After telling Osborne to “shut up”, Mr Jenkin said: “Let’s get real here and just remind the Conservative Party and my colleagues the danger is if you carry on rocking the boat, you three, or four, or five people, you will finish up with Corbyn in Downing Street.”

Mr Jenkin said he backed Mrs May “100 per cent” to remain as Prime Minister, but said it was too soon to say if she would lead the Tories into the next election.

He added: “If in six or 12 months time we have another election it will be the fault of those MPs in my party who are trying to capitalise on this situation to reverse the decision of last year’s referendum - avidly pro-European, pro-EU colleagues who have never really accepted the referendum result.”