Boris Johnson has told Sky News there is "cash available" for his growing list of spending pledges if he becomes the next prime minister.

The race favourite was challenged over his funding commitments in an interview with the Sophy Ridge on Sunday programme as he outlined plans to reverse education cuts and pour billions of pounds into schools.

The former foreign secretary has raised eyebrows at Westminster in making a string of financial promises from extra police on the streets and more transport cash through to big tax cuts and faster broadband for all.

Mr Johnson is the acknowledged frontrunner in the fight for Downing Street with rival Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt.

Both men are currently on the campaign trail, speaking at a series of hustings with party members, who will decide which candidate takes the Tory crown.


Speaking to Ridge on Sunday, Mr Johnson stressed the importance of education and said a top priority would be to ensure schools got the funding they need.

He has committed to pump an extra £4.6bn a year into the system by 2022-23 if he gets the keys to Number 10.

'Survive Sophy Ridge and you can survive anything'

Mr Johnson said: "I think education is the single most important thing that we Conservatives believe in.

"In the sense that it is the tool that every kid should have to make the most of their talents and their opportunities, and a great education is the job of the state to provide to absolutely everybody.

"What's been happening in the UK over the last few years is that too many schools have been falling behind in their per capita provision.

"So what I want to do, day one, is level up and make sure that everybody, primary schools and secondary schools, get the funding they need."

He also promised extra support for special educational needs.

But tackled by Ridge over his burgeoning list of spending commitments and that he was "having his cake and eating it", Mr Johnson insisted there was "headroom available" in the Treasury coffers and argued "sensible tax cuts" would generate growth and so increase revenue.

He said: "Well actually, of course, as the great Tunisian scholar and sage Ibn Khaldun pointed out as early as the 14th century, there are plenty of taxes that you can cut which will actually increase your revenues and there are ways of making sure that you stimulate growth, you stimulate enterprise and you get more in.

"But what is certainly true is at the moment there is cash available."

He added: "I think at the moment there is the headroom available and we intend to use it.

"I also think you can do some great things to stimulate economic growth with tax cuts."

:: The full interview with Boris Johnson - discussing education, Brexit and much more - will be on Sophy Ridge on Sunday at 9am.