The prime minister tries to get her message across as she meets scouts at the United Nations offices in Nairobi

Theresa May refused again to say that Britain would be more prosperous after leaving the EU during a tour of Africa designed to drum up post-Brexit trade on the continent.

The prime minister was asked whether she could give a “yes or no” to whether Britain would be better off once it had quit the bloc.

“There are indeed opportunities,” she replied. “What is important is there is a lot of focus on the trade opportunities around the world, but what we see is global Britain, an independent country outside the European Union, working with countries around the world, working in multilateral and bilateral co-operation — not just to improve prosperity but also to improve security around the world.

She appears to receive a humorous reply STEFAN ROUSSEAU/PA

“Those are the opportunities that