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Boris Johnson has been slapped down by Britain's statistics watchdog twice in one day for “misusing official statistics”

It came after he repeated the false claim the NHS is in line for an extra £350 million a week after Brexit.

Sir David Norgrove, chair of the UK Statistics Authority wrote to the Foreign Secretary today, to say he was "surprised and disappointed" he had used the figure in a newspaper article.

The figure was originally plastered on the side of the Vote Leave battle bus during the referendum campaign.

And he repeated it in a 4,000 word “blueprint” for Brexit Britain on Saturday.

“Once we have settled our accounts, we will take back control of roughly £350 million a week,” Johnson wrote in the Telegraph.

“It would be a fine thing, as many of us have pointed out, if a lot of that money went on the NHS, provided we use that cash injection to modernise and make the most of new technology.”

(Image: PA)

But Sir David noted that not only was the figure hugely inflated - it didn’t account for the huge amounts of EU funding that will be lost to the farming and research industries when we leave.

In a letter to the Foreign Secretary, Sir David wrote: “I am surprised and disappointed that you have chosen to repeat the figure of £350 million 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."

(Image: PA)

Britain made a net contribution of £156 million a week in the last year, less than half the figure Johnson claimed.

And much of that saving will need to be paid to industries losing out on EU funding, such as farmers, universities and research organisations.

“It is a clear misuse of official statistics.”

A spokesperson for the Foreign Secretary said Johnson had spoken to Sir David, who said he had only taken issue with the headline of the Telegraph article.

But the UK Statistics Authority said that was untrue.

A spokesperson told the Mirror: "Sir David Norgrove does not believe the issues lie solely with the headlines. He has not changed the conclusion set out in his letter to the Foreign Secretary."

It’s the second time Johnson has been reprimanded by the watchdog for peddling the figure.

Lib Dem leader Vince Cable said: "Boris' £350m lie has been exposed yet again.

"He knows an extreme Brexit would leave us poorer and mean less cash for the NHS.

"It's good to see the UK Stats Authority has the courage to slap Boris down. "It's a shame the same can't be said of Theresa May."

On Saturday, a spokesperson for Jeremy Corbyn berated Johnson for having “the gall to dredge up the fantasy of £350 million a week extra for the NHS.

“The Prime Minister must spell out now how this will be paid for, or stand condemned for once again trying to mislead the British public."