Johnson slapped down by May over demand for extra NHS cash

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson was slapped down hard by Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday after he overstepped his brief, publicly demanding more cash for the struggling National Health Service (NHS).

Johnson's aides briefed the media ahead of the weekly meeting of Cabinet ministers at Downing Street in an attempt to pressure May over health funding for the service which is struggling under a severe flu outbreak.

However it all backfired spectacularly when Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond, and then May, rebuked Johnson, reminding him that he was foreign secretary and not in charge of health.

May started the Cabinet meeting by reminding her ministers that discussions on policy should take place in private, according to her spokesman.

“The prime minister and a large number of cabinet ministers made the point that cabinet discussions should take place in private,” the spokesman said.

Johnson, who famously said the NHS would receive an extra £350m a week after Brexit – and then last week claimed that it was an underestimate - , briefed that he would demand an extra £5bn a year.

“The prime minister said that at the budget the government announced £6bn additional funding for the NHS,” the spokesman said.

“Regarding the future and how any return of the EU contribution would be spent, the prime minister reminded cabinet that the government has consistently said we will spend money on our priorities such as housing, schools and the NHS.”

Hammond, in Brussels for a finance ministers meeting reminded Johnson he had given Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt an extra £6bn in the recent budget and “we will look at departmental allocations again at the spending review when that takes place”.