Rees-Mogg brushed off reports that he wanted to become Prime Minister, dismissing the rumours as “good silly season stuff”. He said that he “fully support[s] Mrs May,” who recently entered the Conservative Party into a coalition with the anti-abortion DUP.

“I want her to remain leader of the Tory party,” he said.

He also acknowledged that the UK’s laws on abortion and same-sex marriage were extremely unlikely to change, even if he was to rise to the top of the party.

“These matters within the House of Commons are free votes,” he said. “They are not determined by the Prime Minister. There is no question of these laws being changed. There would not be a majority in the House of Commons for that.”

“I don’t want to criticise people who lead lives that are different to mine,” Rees-Mogg continued. “But equally I don’t want to divert from the teachings of the Catholic Church.”

Jacob Rees-Mogg, the Tory MP tipped to replace Theresa May, has appalling views on abortion