Laura Kuenssberg has spoken publicly about the threats and abuse aimed at her for the first time since the BBC was forced to hire a security guard for her protection.

The BBC political editor told guests at a Jewish Care business lunch in central London today: "I didn't aspire to have the finger pointed at me.

“What they are trying to do is silence me.”

Interviewed by her boss, James Harding, director of BBC News, she said there was no chance the campaign by trolls would work.

“No matter how unpleasant and personal it might be, it is not as bad as what other journalists face around the world in much more difficult circumstances.”

When asked about the current government’s position she said someone in Theresa May’s cabinet had made a joke about the government being "weak and stable”.

Ms Kuenssberg, who is not Jewish, said she could see Mrs May remaining in Downing Street until 2019 and suggested previous Tory governments would not have been as forgiving of their leader.

“In another time she’d have been gone on June 9.”

When asked whether the party leaders were different when the cameras were turned off, Ms Kuenssberg said Jeremy Corbyn and Mrs May were more themselves than previous leaders.

"The camera is not always fair. Corbyn says what he thinks much of the time and is always one step away from tying what he is saying into his world view.

"May is much warmer in private and relaxed," although only “a little bit more relaxed” she said.

Referring to the allegations of sexual harassment in Westminster by ministers and MPs, Ms Kuenssberg said: "It is hard to tell where it is going to end up. There has been a stopper on the bottle for a long time.”

There was a "very clear" generational divide in how people were responding, she said.

"It is important for people to get a handle on the seriousness of what is happening. We need people to feel they can come forward."