Theresa May has promised not to "hide from a challenge" amid rumours of an impending cabinet reshuffle that could see Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson demoted.

The prime minister, who withstood an attempted coup after a difficult Tory party conference last week, has come under pressure to freshen up her cabinet in the hope of bolstering her authority.

In his column for the Sunday Telegraph, Johnson backed "determined" May, writing, "the people of this country want us to get on and deliver Brexit - and we need Theresa to do it."

Johnson was accused of overshadowing the prime minister in Manchester, setting out his personal Brexit "red lines" in a keynote conference speech.

May, who has faced calls to sack her foreign secretary, told the Sunday Times it was her job to make sure she had the "best people" in government.

When asked about Johnson, she said: "I didn't come into politics for an easy life.

"It has never been my style to hide from a challenge and I'm not going to start now.

"I'm the PM, and part of my job is to make sure I always have the best people in my Cabinet, to make the most of the wealth of talent available to me in the party."

Ruth Davidson, the leader of the Scottish Conservatives, offered her backing to Mrs May.

Speaking on the BBC's The Andrew Marr Show, she said: "You've seen some quite unfortunate shenanigans this week in terms of a couple of people trying to push, but the push-back has been pretty strong, we're behind the prime minister (and) she's the best person to lead us forward."

When asked for her view on Mr Johnson, she said: "He's come out this week to say he's fully behind every dot, comma, 't' and word of the Florence speech. I want to see the prime minister hold him to that.

She added: "He's a big intellect, he's a big figure in the party and if the prime minister believes he's the right person to be Foreign Secretary then she has my full support."

The prime minister endured a series of mishaps during her speech on the final day in Manchester, including a coughing fit, a faulty set and a prankster serving her a fake P45.

May told the newspaper she had not cried after her "uncomfortable" speech but said her "feelings can be hurt, like everyone else."

"I am pretty resilient," she added.

May also attacked media coverage of her conference address. "One minute journalists are accusing me of being an ice maiden or a robot, then they claim I'm a weeping woman in dire need of a good night's sleep," she said, adding: "I am not someone who gives up."

Former party chairman Grant Shapps led a coup against May, with the Sunday Times reporting at least three Cabinet ministers talked about replacing her on the day after her speech. The uprising ultimately fizzled out, though one minister told the newspaper, "it feels to me that this is over before Christmas."