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Theresa May rebukes Boris Johnson over his Brexit blueprint

Theresa May, the Prime Minister - PA
Theresa May, the Prime Minister - PA

Theresa May has issued a firm rebuke to Boris Johnson and insisted her Government is being "driven from the front" after the Foreign Secretary set out his own vision for Brexit.

The Prime Minister also refused to guarantee that Britain will spend hundreds of millions of pounds on the NHS after Brexit in a further snub to Mr Johnson.

The Prime Minister made clear that she was the person responsible for driving the Government's Brexit policy after the Foreign Secretary's remarks onboard a RAF flight to Canada at the start of a three day visit to North America.

Her comments are intended to restore Cabinet unity on Brexit after a weekend of damaging headlines.

It began with Mr Johnson publishing his own 4,000 word manifesto in the Daily Telegraph on Saturday which said that Britain should only pay what is "due" to the EU and should spend £350 milllion a week on the NHS after quitting the bloc.

Boris Johnson meets Donald Trump in New York - Credit: Evan Vucci/AP
Boris Johnson meets Donald Trump in New York Credit: Evan Vucci/AP

That led to Amber Rudd, the Home Secretary and a potential rival to Mr Johnson for the Tory crown, accusing him of being a "backseat driver" over the negotiations.

However, Mrs May moved to make clear that she - and not Mr Johnson - is in charge of the Government's overall policy on withdrawal.

Asked if she could "truly" guarantee that she is in charge of the Brexit process, the Prime Minister said: "This Government is driven from the front and we we are all going to the same destination."

Mrs May failed to answer a direct question of whether she thought Mr Johnson would resign over the row.

She said: "We are all agreed as a Government on the importance ensuring that we get the right deal for Brexit, the right withdrawal arrangements but also the right deep and special partnership for the EU and the UK in the future.

"We are all optimistic about what we might be achieving as the United Kingdom in the future."

Asked if Mrs May had approved Mr Johnson's 4,000 word article, the Prime Minister replied: "No but we are very clear that the cabinet and the government is all looking to the same destination which is about ensuring that we get the best possible deal for the UK in leaving."

Boris Johnson - Credit: Lucas Jackson/Reuters
Boris Johnson, the Foreign Secretary, attends a session at UN headquarters in New York Credit: Lucas Jackson/Reuters

Mrs May brushed off a suggestion that she was "frustrated" with Mr Johnson, saying: "Boris is Boris."

Mr Johnson had repeated his claim during last year's EU referendum that cash saved from Britain leaving the EU would be spent on the NHS.

Hower Mrs May stressed that any decision on spending priorities had to be taken by the whole Government.

She said: "By definition if we are currently money into the European Union and at a point in the future we won't be paying that money into the European Union.

"We will have to decide as a Government how to spend that money and at the time we will look to see where we think it is appropriate and best to spend that money.

"That will be a decision taken at the time, it will be taken by the Goverment."

Mrs May was drawn into an extraordinary row yesterday between Mr Johnson and Sir David Norgrove, the head of the UK Statistics Authority, over whether Britain will gain £350million a week from Brexit.

The statistics watchdog rubbished the claim when it was made by the Vote Leave campaign last year, complaining that rebates and EU subsidies meant the net figure was far lower.

Boris Johnson's Brexit vision
Boris Johnson's Brexit vision

Asked "who she trusted to do sums" Mrs May appeared to side with Sir David by pointing out that Britain's net contribution to the EU changed from year to year.

She said: "If you look at the amount of money that goes into the European Union into the UK every year, you will see this varies for a variety of reasons. 

"The important principle that we are operating on is that leaving the EU means that going ahead year on year on year we will not be continuing to pay huge sums of money into the European Union."