Brexit deal: Theresa May defends EU agreement in press conference after flurry of cabinet resignations

Press conference is now due at 5.15pm - slight delay.

Theresa May kicks off the press conference - she says negotiating the EU withdrawal and building a new relationship is a "matter of the highest consequence".

My approach throughout has to put the national interest first, she says.

She says she is sorry ministers have chose to leave the government, but believes with "every fibre of her being" on what she is attempting to deliver. 

May says difficult and sometimes uncomfortable decision had to be made. "It is in the national interests - we can only secure it if we unite behind it."

She says the British people "just want us to get on with on it" 

Asked whether she is "in office, but not in power", Theresa May says she is going to do her job of "getting a deal that is in the national interest".

Asked about a vote of no confidence in her leadership, May says: "Leadership is about taking the right decision, not the easy ones. As prime minister my job is to get a deal that delivers on the referendum" 

"Am I going to see this through? Yes"

Asked about Michael Gove being offered the job of Brexit secretary - and whether she is struggling to find people to replace Dominic Raab, May says: "I've had actually rather a busy day... Michael has being an excellent job at Defra... I haven't appointed a new DExEU secretary yet."