Facts 

Boris Johnson told the public at a press conference on 21st December 2020 that “we have already been able to reduce the number of lorries waiting on the M20 from 500 to 170.”

Speaking on the Today programme the following morning, Home Secretary Priti Patel flatly contradicted Johnson’s claim. She said that the number of lorries waiting on the M20 was more than 650. In addition, she said there were a further 800 lorries at Manston.  

Interviewer Martha Kearney asked about Johnson’s claim the evening before that lorry numbers on the M20 had been reduced from “500 to 170” Patel replied that “numbers fluctuate”. Martha Kearney did not push her line of questioning any further.  

Verdict

Johnson’s claim that the number of lorris waiting on the M20 had been reduced to 170 was swiftly contradicted by Home Secretary Priti Patel.