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Theresa May was subjected to an intense grilling in which she was asked to defend her position on Nelson Mandela and apartheid during the 1970s and 1980s. Channel 4 News political correspondent Michael Crick challenged the Prime Minister to explain whether she had actively called for Mr Mandela's release in her early political career. After the Prime Minister said the UK had played an important role in the release of Mr Mandela, Mr Crick said: "What did you do? What did you do? Did you go on protests? Did you get arrested outside the embassy? "Did you boycott South African goods? Did you do anything? At that stage, Mrs Thatcher believed that Nelson Mandela was a terrorist. Were you a loyal Conservative Party member? Did you think the same thing?"

Mr Crick persisted with his relentless questioning, asking Mrs May whether she would feel "guilty" during her visit to Robben Island. He continued: "Now you are going to Robben Island. Are you going to be feeling guilty that at the time Nelson Mandela was on Robben Island you, Theresa May, did nothing to help his release? You personally." Mrs May confirmed that she did not attend demonstrations in support of Mr Mandela during the 1970s or 1980s but she praised the efforts of the British Government to pressure the then South African Government to release him. She said: "I think you know full well that I didn’t go on protests, Michael. But what is important is the work that the United Kingdom, the work that the United Kingdom Government did to ensure that it was able to give support where the support was needed.

Theresa May was asked whether she had joined protests to support Mandela in the 1970s

Mrs Thatcher believed that Nelson Mandela was a terrorist, were you a loyal Conservative Party member? Michael Crick

"What was important was the support the UK Government was giving at the time, often support behind the scenes, but in other ways too, to ensure that we saw the result that we did in relation to the ending of apartheid here in South Africa." Discussing her feelings, the Prime Minister added: "What I will be feeling, I think, when I go to Robben Island, is to recognise the immense statesmanship of a man who spent so many years incarcerated and when he came out of that incarceration had that breadth of vision and that calm approach that has enabled South Africa to be built into the country that it is today." She later signed the guestbook open to all visitors, writing: "It has been a privilege to visit in this year - the 100th anniversary of the birth of Nelson Mandela. "His legacy lives on in the hopes and dreams of young people here in South Africa and around the world."

Theresa May was asked about her stance on apartheid under Mrs Thatcher's Government