Sheepish Theresa May tells billionaire Tory donors the party could not just ‘sit back licking our wounds’ as she grovels over botched snap election

SHEEPISH Theresa May told billionaire Tory donors the party could not just "sit back licking our wounds” as she grovelled over her snap Election humiliation.

The Prime Minister accepted responsibility for the June 8 disaster as she addressed the lavish Conservative summer party at West London’s exclusive Hurlingham Club.

Meanwhile Cabinet leadership hopefuls like Boris Johnson, Amber Rudd and David Davis pressed the flesh at the annual fundraiser.

Billionaire Tory backers like Michael Hintze, Peter Cruddas and Mick Davis dug deep - with one punter paying £160,000 for dinner with the PM, despite her weakened position.

Mr Davis, the new CEO of the Tory party, even spoke in Yiddish at one point while shaking the tin, branding Jeremy Corbyn a "nudnik" - which translates as "a bore or nuisance".

One source told The Sun: “It was a much more muted affair than under Cameron, but David Davis was very popular and the Cabinet hopefuls were shamelessly working the room."

Taking to the stage, Mrs May said: “I promise you this: there will be no sitting back, no licking our wounds.

“Instead, we will act with an unshakeable sense of purpose to make the very best of the new political situation.

Heaping praise on Scots Tory chief Ruth Davidson she added that she was “committed to keeping our country safe, enhancing our standing in the wider world and bringing our United Kingdom closer together.

“That is our mission as Conservatives," she added.

A senior Conservative source said: "The PM made largely off-the-cuff remarks to the annual Treasurer’s Summer Party to thank them for their hard work and support during the Election."

"She reiterated that she took responsibility for calling the election and that it hadn’t delivered the result the party wanted.

"But had also delivered the Conservatives’ highest share of the vote since 1983 and highest number of votes since 1992."