Britain will be run by a "coalition of chaos" if voters are tempted by a plan by Nicola Sturgeon for a “progressive alliance” of SNP, Labour and the Liberal Democrats, Theresa May has warned.

After securing Parliament’s backing for a June 8 election, the Prime Minister said the country faced a “clear choice”between “strong and stable” leadership under the Conservatives, or a coalition thrown together to “prop up” Jeremy Corbyn.

In her first stump speech of the campaign, Mrs May also appealed directly to the electorate as she asked them to “put their trust in me” and “give me the mandate to fight for Britain”.

She immediately took the fight to the Opposition, flying to the target seat of Bolton North East, a Labour marginal that voted for Brexit in the EU referendum.