It is incredible that people are still giving credence to Boris Johnson and his repetition of the lie that was painted on the side of the ‘Brexit bus’ during the run-up to the EU referendum.
As This Writer pointed out, more than a year ago, the UK never gave £350 million a week to the EU. With rebates and revenue from favourable EU trading conditions, the total value of our contributions was less than half that. Add in the money brought into the UK by the work of EU migrants and the UK is in profit by £120 million per week – nearly £6.25 billion per year – based on last year’s figures.
Even if you strip out the public and private sector receipts, the UK’s contribution doesn’t come to anything like £350 million per week.
The latest twist in the tale is Mr Johnson’s row with the head of the UK Statistics Authority, who wrote to warn him that the figure “confuses gross and net contributions” and is “a clear misuse of official statistics:
Sir David Norgrove writes to Foreign Secretary about use of '£350 million per week' figure https://t.co/yLI2SeW6FF
— UK Statistics Authority (@UKStatsAuth) September 17, 2017
Mr Johnson has written a furious screed in response, claiming that it misrepresents what he said, which was that the UK would “take back control” of the £350 million per week, and it would be “a fine thing” if much of that money “went on the NHS”:
Johnson letter to @UKStatsAuth Chair Norgrove: "amazed" that he thinks that Johnson claims "there would be extra £350m for public services" pic.twitter.com/m1pcCQgGgS
— Faisal Islam (@faisalislam) September 17, 2017
But, as Steve Peers points out below (and I pointed out more than a year ago), the UK already decides how to spend the rebate, so it cannot be considered “extra public spending”:
Boris letter still contains huge lie. UK rebate € isn't sent to EU; UK decides how to spend it already. So it can't be extra public spending https://t.co/iz9E8guOKD
— Steve Peers (@StevePeers) September 17, 2017
As far as This Writer is concerned, Mr Johnson was clearly either lying or stupid. In either case, his claim that his outburst was not the start of a leadership challenge against Theresa May and he remains “all behind” her can only undermine her position: She employs idiots.
The responses on Twitter have been enjoyable:
https://twitter.com/BenNutland/status/909059949686386689
The Borifesto has so many factual errors and disingenuous elisions and so much sententious guff it could have been written by Alf Garnet.
— Chris Bryant (@RhonddaBryant) September 16, 2017
https://twitter.com/RobDotHutton/status/908953316360704003
Wow. Remarkably quick work from the Telegraph to get all these articles written about Boris's totally unexpected and uncoordinated gambit. pic.twitter.com/AQMkNzXv9D
— David Whitley (@mrdavidwhitley) September 15, 2017
Why is @BBCNews @BBCBreakfast giving such prominence to #borisjohnson reviving discredited #brexit lies ? #BBCBias pic.twitter.com/Uaq4pthlyZ
— Richard Corbett (@RichardGCorbett) September 16, 2017
Have limited sympathy with @BorisJohnson. I spent year trying to meet @Number10gov demands for "Brexit bonus stories". Couldn't find any
— James Chapman (@jameschappers) September 16, 2017
We were so desperate that at one point we tried to put story together on freedom to sell larger vape canisters, till we found it wasn't true https://t.co/rHqubUN8kD
— James Chapman (@jameschappers) September 16, 2017
No BBC, Boris Johnson isn't reviving a 'controversial claim' about getting back £350m a week to spend on the NHS, he's resurrecting a lie.
— Keith Burge (@carryonkeith) September 16, 2017
In one breath Boris promises £350m for the NHS & for us to become a low tax economy, facing both ways the absolute charlatan
— Justin Madders MP (@justinmadders) September 16, 2017
Oh just pull yourself together and sack Boris Johnson, @theresa_may. This is beyond the point of embarrassing now.
— Owen Jones 🌹 (@OwenJones84) September 16, 2017
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