Nicola Sturgeon and Angela Eagle joined forces to attack Boris Johnson's claim that Britain is sending £350m a week to the EU which would be better spent on "alleviating some of the problems in our NHS caused by uncontrolled immigration".

The Scottish First Minister and shadow Business Secretary were taking part in an ITV debate on Britain's continued membership of the European Union with the former Mayor of London and Brexit campaigner.

Mr Johnson claimed that the country should vote to leave on 23 June to regain control of the countries borders and stop sending money to Brussels.

But Ms Sturgeon countered the argument saying Mr Johnson had previously called for people "to be charged for using the NHS" and now he was "the defender of it".

She said: "I am staggered that Boris Johnson is now standing here still defending this £350m a week figure. It’s a scandal that is still emblazoned across the campaign bus because it is an absolute whopper.

"The statistics authority says so, the House of Commons select committee says so, everybody knows so.

"The contribution each of us makes to the EU every day is less than a pound, but what do we get for that money? We get freedom of travel, we get a single market of 500 million people, the chance to cooperate to keep us safer. These are the gains of being in the EU".

Ms Eagle then joined in, pointing at Mr Johnson telling him to "get that lie off (his) bus".

The Labour MP said it is untrue that mass immigration from the EU was creating social problems such as the housing crisis.

She accused the former mayor of doing little to deal with the housing crisis in London during his tenure in charge of the city.

Earlier in the deabte, Ms Sturgeon made a direct appeal to the voters not to let Vote Leave make the campaign about immigration.

She said:“If you’re struggling to access housing and public services, blame the politicians not the immigrant”.

The SNP leader said Britain could not afford to "pull up the drawbridge" and the Conservative Government's Austerity policies were to blame for low wages and declining living standards.

What's the European Parliament ever done for us? Show all 5 1 /5 What's the European Parliament ever done for us? What's the European Parliament ever done for us? A cap on the amount of hours an employer can make you work The Working Time directive provides legal standards to ensure the health and safety of employees in Europe. Among the many rules are a working week of a maximum 48 hours, including overtime, a daily rest period of 11 hours in every 24, a break if a person works for six hours or more, and one day off in every seven. It also includes provisions for paid annual leave of at least four weeks every year Getty Images What's the European Parliament ever done for us? Helping the people of Britain to avoid smoking In 2014 MEPs passed the Tobacco Products Directive strengthening existing rules on the manufacture, production and presentation of tobacco products. This includes things like reduced branding, restrictions on products containing flavoured tobacco, health warnings on cigarette packets and provisions for e-cigarettes to ensure they are safe What's the European Parliament ever done for us? Helping you to make the right choices with your food Thanks to the European Parliament, UK consumers have access to more information than ever about their food and drink. This includes amount of fat, and how much of it is saturated, carbohydrates, sugars, protein and so on. It also includes portion sizes and guideline daily amount information so people can make informed choices about their diet. All facts must be clear and easy to understand What's the European Parliament ever done for us? Two year guarantees and 14-day returns policy for all products Consumers across the EU have access to a number of rights, from things which are potentially very useful, to things which used to be annoying. For example, shoppers in the UK receive a two-year guarantee on all products, and a 14-day period to change their minds and return a purchase, these things are useful www.PeopleImages.com-licence restrictions apply What's the European Parliament ever done for us? Keeping your air nice and fresh (and safe) Believe it or not, although the situation is improving, some areas of the UK have appalling air quality. A report by the Royal College of Physicians released on 23 February says 40,000 deaths are caused by outdoor air pollution in the UK every year. Air pollution is linked to a number of illnesses and conditions, from Asthma to diabetes and dementia. The report estimates the costs to British business and the health service add up to £20 billion every year