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Amber Rudd on Boris Johnson: 'You can't trust him to take you home at the end of an evening'

Both Ms Rudd and Angela Eagle accused Mr Johnson of only being on the Leave campaign to further his ambition to replace David Cameron as Prime Minister

Samuel Osborne
Thursday 14 July 2016 10:13 BST
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What Amber Rudd said about Boris Johnson only weeks ago

Boris Johnson's appointment as Theresa May's new Foreign Secretary has been met with surprise and bewilderment throughout the world.

It remains to be seen how Mr Johnson will work with other members of the Cabinet such as Amber Rudd, who once described him as "not the man you want driving you home at the end of the evening" during a fierce debate on the EU referendum.

Ms Rudd, who has been given the role of Britain's Home Secretary, accused Mr Johnson and the Vote Leave campaign of making up statistics - such as the claim made on the side of the campaign's battle bus suggesting £350 million a week could be diverted from the EU to the NHS.

Chris Grayling later said the idea of spending money on the NHS instead of the EU was only "an aspiration".

Both Ms Rudd and Labour’s former shadow business secretary Angela Eagle accused Mr Johnson of only being on the Leave campaign to further his ambition to replace David Cameron as Prime Minister.

Although long touted as a successor to Mr Cameron, Mr Johnson sensationally announced he would not stand for leader at the last minute before deadlines closed.

Instead, the former London Mayor's was elevated to the UK's most senior diplomatic role, where he will represent Britain abroad on the world stage.

Speaking after his appointment on Wednesday, Mr Johnson told BBC News: "Obviously very, very humbled, very, very proud to be offered this chance.

"I think Theresa made a wonderful speech this afternoon about her ambitions for the country and how she saw the Conservative government taking Britain forward."

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