BOJO MUST GO
Tories turn on Foreign Secretary over NHS lie
BORIS Johnson was left isolated and humiliated by Tory colleagues yesterday after his botched attempt to push Theresa May into a hard Brexit.
Civil war broke out at Cabinet level, with the Prime Minister powerless to sack the Brexit bruiser even though he openly defied her threadbare negotiating lines with the European Union.
Senior Tories were furious after the Foreign Secretary published an article repeating false claims about £350million a week of EU contributions being available for the NHS.
Lib-dem leader Vince Cable said Theresa May should axe Johnson to save her credibility.
Johnson’s tub-thumping vision of Brexit Britain was seen as a disloyal attack on May ahead of her speech in Florence on Friday.
He lamely tweeted he fully backed the PM but many accused him of launching a leadership bid, and Home Secretary Amber Rudd charged him with “backseat driving” and told him to stay clear of managing the Brexit process.
She said she had “unfortunately not” had time to read his article, published a day after the terrorist attack on the London Underground.
On The Andrew Marr Show, she said: “I had rather a lot to do on Friday – there was a bomb that nearly went off in Parsons Green.
“Yesterday, I chaired Cobra, I went to see the police. I didn’t have time to read that piece.”
Rudd’s comments echoed those of Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson.
Davidson tweeted on Friday: “On the day of a terror attack where Britons were maimed, just hours after the threat level is raised, our only thoughts should be on service.”
Johnson was slapped down again by the UK’s statistics watchdog for repeating the Brexit campaign “lie” that £350million a week of UK payments to the EU could be diverted to the NHS.
Chair of the UK Statistics Authority David Norgrove wrote to the Foreign Secretary saying he was “surprised and disappointed” at the move and branded it a “clear misuse” of official statistics.
Lib Dem leader Vince Cable said May had lost her authority.
He said: “She should sack this guy. She should fire Boris Johnson or her credibility will be reduced to zero.”
Labour’s Chuka Umunna, a leading supporter of the Open Britain campaign against a hard Brexit, said: “Boris’s hard Brexit plans will mean less money for our NHS, not more.
“The Institute for Fiscal Studies are forecasting a £58billion hole in the public finances as a direct result of Brexit, which will be paid for in higher taxes and lower NHS spending.
“His compulsive lying means Boris has lost the right to be heard on Brexit.”
Ian Blackford, the SNP Westminster leader, demanded that parliament be recalled.
He said: “The Prime Minister must make a statement to Parliament, recalling MPs if necessary.
“It would be unacceptable if changes to the UK’s negotiating position were to be announced in Florence, with no parliamentary scrutiny, as media briefings suggest.”