It’s now official: Boris Johnson is talking b-llocks

John Plunkett. Updated September 17th, 2017

Official confirmation came through today of what we already knew – Boris Johnson talks bollocks.

It came from the chair of the UK statistics authority – who are we to doubt him – after the foreign secretary revived that £350m EU/NHS nonsense on the front of the Telegraph.

BREAKING: UK Stats Authority writes to Boris saying it's "surprised & disappointed" he's using £350m figure AGAIN. "Clear misuse of stats" pic.twitter.com/sen2BV4oFr

— Paul Brand (@PaulBrandITV) September 17, 2017

And here’s what it says, just in case you can’t read it.

“Dear Foreign Secretary

I am surprised and disappointed that you have chosen to repeat the figure of £350m per week, in connection with the amount that might be available for extra public spending when we leave the European Union.

This confuses gross and net contributions. It also assumes that payments currently made to the UK by the EU, including for example for the support of agriculture and scientific research, will not be paid by the UK government when we leave.

It is a clear misuse of official statistics.

Yours sincerely

Sir David Norgrove”

Here’s that Telegraph front page, in case you missed it.

For 15 months I have had countless people who work for Boris furiously deny he ever actually said the NHS would get £350m. And now… pic.twitter.com/KIjjH8u5D4

— Matt Chorley (@MattChorley) September 15, 2017

And here was Vince Cable’s response.

Boris Johnson repeating the £350m lie doesn't make it true. Britain needs political grown-ups, not a pound shop Donald Trump

— Vince Cable (@vincecable) September 16, 2017

Something tells us this might not be the end of it.