Boris Johnson was ‘bitch slapped’ by Theresa May after his ploy to get her to spend an extra £100m a week on the NHS backfires spectacularly
The Prime Minister rebuked her Foreign Secretary TWICE in front of his Cabinet colleagues and told ministers discussions should be kept private after reports of his plans ended up in the press
BORIS Johnson was reportedly "bitch slapped" by Theresa May after his demand she hands the NHS a £100million a week Brexit dividend backfired spectacularly.
The Prime Minister is said to have publicly shamed her Foreign Secretary as a raft of Cabinet ministers lined up to blast him for trying to force her hand.
A furious Mrs May warned ministers not to air grievances in public after reports of his plans to hijack the meeting to make his pitch on the health service made it into the press.
One Cabinet member told ITV she gave Mr Johnson "a complete bitch slap. Not once but twice".
While the Home Secretary Amber Rudd is said to have stressed the need for “trust” around the table, adding: “I'm talking to you, Foreign Secretary.”
It came after he was publicly rebuked by Philip Hammond after reports he was planning on making his demand.
Other sources inside the tense meeting played down claims he was “humiliated” by the PM, and some minister made supportive comments.
But Mrs May's spokesman told reporters: "The Prime Minister and a large number of cabinet ministers made the point that cabinet discussions should take place in private."
Mr Johnson had claimed the money is necessary to stave off the challenge of Jeremy Corbyn, and also to keep his referendum campaign promise.
In the run-up to 2016’s vote he toured the country on a bus emblazoned with the now-infamous pledge that exiting the EU would allow the Government to give the health service and extra £350million a week.
Her spokesman told reporters: "The prime minister and a large number of cabinet ministers made the point that cabinet discussions should take place in private."
He said the point was made by a "number of ministers" – and in a brutal riposte to Mr Johnson said no "specific number" had been raised in relation to possible additional funding for the health service.
Mrs May had emphasised that any additional funding that became available after Britain had left the EU would be allocated according to the Government's priorities - including housing, schools and the NHS.
Mr Johnson reportedly had the support of several other prominent Brexiteers - but after a backlash to his plan he instead came under attack.
In an interview last week he made clear he thinks the health service should be "at the very top of the list" when the UK "takes back control" of money which would have been sent to Brussels as a member.
He is set to hijack a presentation to Mrs May’s top team by the Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt on the current NHS winter crisis, with allies saying he has a “track record of winning” and will not relent until the money is secured.
But the Prime Minister is set to rebuff her ministers, and this morning the Chancellor told reporters: “Mr Johnson is the Foreign Secretary."
Speaking as he arrived for a summit in Brussels he said: “I gave the Health Secretary an extra £6billion at the recent budget and we will look at departmental allocations again at the spending review when that takes place”
But the intervention comes as Mrs May faces pressure from Tory MPs to be bolder in her leadership as they complain about a lack of ambition will see them lose out to Mr Corbyn's radical Labour.
Sir Nicholas Soames is the latest Tory backbencher to voice unease about the style of the Prime Minister's administration, after former minister Nick Boles warned of "timidity and lack of ambition";.
Using one of the extended hashtags which have become his social media trademark, Sir Nicholas asked: "Where's the bold and brave? So far, it's dull, dull, dull."
The veteran MP and former defence minister wrote: "It really won't be enough to get people to vote against The Corbini. They must have really sound reasons to vote Conservative.
"We really need to get on with this. #wherestheboldandbravesofaritsdulldulldull."
Sir Nicholas's comments came just days after Mr Boles warned the PM it was "time to raise your game" and claimed her Government "constantly disappoints".
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The Grantham and Stamford MP tweeted at the weekend: "There is a timidity and lack of ambition about Mrs May's Government which means it constantly disappoints."
Asked about the concerns expressed by MPs, Mrs May's official spokesman said: "If you look at action taken by the Government in recent months, you can see it is getting on with the job of building a stronger economy and a fairer society that works for everyone."
He cited cuts in stamp duty for first-time buyers, the launch of a 25-year environment plan and an industrial strategy, plans for an energy price cap, the recently published race disparity audit and the injection of money into health, social care and schools.