The nation has kicked off talks with ratings agencies to lay the groundwork for a return to international debt markets
Johnson said it was right that the government increased spending during the COVID crisis but a strong and healthy economy would not emerge if it carried on in the same way.
"When you face inflationary pressure, you can't just spend your way out of it. On the contrary, you have to be careful not to add to inflationary pressure," Johnson said in a speech in northwest England, adding that increasing wages to match inflation risked a wage-price spiral.
"When a country faces an inflationary problem, you can't just pay more and spend more. You have to find ways of tackling the underlying causes of inflation."