Theresa May has slapped down Boris Johnson after he claimed her Brexit plans are like putting a "suicide vest" around Britain.

The former foreign secretary made the controversial remarks in an article for the Mail on Sunday.

It prompted anger from survivors of last year's Manchester terror attack and condemnation from fellow Tories, with Downing Street adding to the censure of Mr Johnson on Monday.

Asked about Mr Johnson's comments, Mrs May's official spokesman said: "This isn't language the prime minister would choose to use, beyond that I don't plan on giving this article further oxygen.

"The prime minister is fully focused on Brexit negotiations."


Mr Johnson's old Foreign Office colleagues Sir Alan Duncan and Alistair Burt were among those to criticise his claims, with the former saying that it should mark the end of his political career.

The row was followed by Mr Johnson using a further newspaper article to suggest the UK employ Donald Trump-style tax cuts in a bid to catch up with the economic growth being enjoyed in the US.

He believes income tax, stamp duty and capital gains tax should all be slashed - measures likely to appeal to Conservative voters at a time he is being tipped to launch a leadership challenge.

Image: The former foreign secretary is a fan of Donald Trump's tax cuts

Writing in his regular Daily Telegraph column on Monday, Mr Johnson said: "Instead of canvassing tax rises, we should say that tax henceforward will not go up. That's it. No new taxes and no increase in rates.

"We do need to spend more on the NHS. We must find the extra £20bn that the chancellor has rightly promised. We do need to step up our investments in the police and schools and other vital public services.

"But I am afraid I am not convinced that the answer is immediately to turn to the hard-pressed taxpayer, when Britain is now by no means a low-tax economy compared with several other jurisdictions in Europe."

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Mr Johnson again hit out at the ongoing Brexit negotiations with the EU as part of his pitch, suggesting that it was "very odd to be proposing tax hikes when we are about to hand over £39 billion to the EU for nothing in return".

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He said that public finances were improving and that the government needed "to show how a post-Brexit Britain will be a happy and dynamic economy".

In a reference to the policies of President Trump, Mr Johnson said: "The US currently boasts economic growth rates far in excess of this country, at about 4.5%, and with record low unemployment.

"That growth is being driven not just by the US government's decision to cut taxes and regulation, but perhaps even more by psychology: by the sense that the government wants to cut taxes, wants to liberate and energise people.

"Do we send out that signal, here in this country? I am not so sure."

The US president signed his $1.5tn (£1.1tn) tax cut programme into law last December. It was the first major overhaul of tax laws in the country in 21 years.

Justice Secretary @DavidGauke dismisses claims 80 MPs are ready to vote down the PM's #Brexit plan pic.twitter.com/iOxx0Ut9tu — Sky News Politics (@SkyNewsPolitics) September 10, 2018

Reacting to Mr Johnson's latest intervention over Brexit, Justice Secretary David Gauke claimed Mr Johnson had yet to set out an alternative plan to the government's Chequers proposals.

He told Sky News: "This is a time where we have to seriously address the issues in front of us, have a serious plan to deal with the situation, make sure that we deliver Brexit in the right way.

"The prime minister is a serious politician who has set out a serious plan and I for one, and I know many, many others in the parliamentary party are supporting her in delivering that."