Boris Johnson shot down by PM over pre-briefing Cabinet

Boris Johnson’s planned ambush of Prime Minister Theresa May over diverting £100m of Brexit dividends to the NHS during Cabinet has failed.

Not only did the foreign secretary not have the opportunity to press for a specific sum to be deployed into the pressured health service, he was also reminded that he should not be discussing what is talked about in Cabinet meetings.

A government spokesman this afternoon said: “The Prime Minister, and a large number of Cabinet ministers, made the point that Cabinet discussions should take place in private.”

He added that during the hour-long conversation about the NHS this morning, “no ministers discussed specific figures in relation to NHS spend”. While Johnson’s allies had been briefing that he will lead an ambush against the Prime Minister, it was May who introduced the topic and health secretary Jeremy Hunt who led the conversation, which was characterised as “constructive”.

May did reiterate her commitment to deploy any new funds unlocked by Brexit to the three priorities – housing, schools and the NHS – as well as any other issues that may become pressing in the meantime. She also pointed to the £6bn additional funding announced “just a few weeks ago” during the Budget, the spokesman added.

Earlier in the day, chancellor Philip Hammond had made clear his views on the matter by responding to a question about Johnson’s intervention by saying: “Mr Johnson is the foreign secretary.

“I gave the health secretary [Jeremy Hunt] an extra £6bn at the recent budget and we will look at departmental allocations again at the spending review when that takes place.”

Hammond did not attend Cabinet as he is in Europe attending a regular meeting of finance ministers.