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Theresa May Photograph: Stefan Rousseau/PA

Theresa May has signalled that she will fight any attempts by Macron to renegotiate the border deal between the UK and France that allows British police to operate in Calais.

Last month Macron said the Le Touquet border deal must be “renegotiated” to ensure a better outcome for child migrants.

Asked about Macron’s threat at an election rally in Harrow on Monday, May said: “The Le Touquet agreement actually works for the benefit of both the UK and France.”

She said she would remind Macron’s team of the mutual benefit of the agreement when she meets his government team. “We will be sitting down and talking to Monsieur Macron and others about how that system has worked both for the benefit of France as well as for the benefit of the UK,” May said.

The British prime minister also crowbarred in her electoral slogan about the need for strong leadership in her response to Macron’s win.

She said: “Yesterday a new French president was elected. He was elected with a strong mandate which he can take as a strong position in the negotiations. In the UK we need to ensure that we’ve got an equally strong mandate and equally strong negotiating position. Every vote for me and my team will strengthen my hand in those Brexit negotiations.”