Tory MP Dr Sarah Wollaston blasts Leave campaign’s ‘post-truth politics’ as she defects to Remain
Vote Leave's claim Britain sends £350million a week to Brussels has been slated as 'simply not true'
A TORY MP has defected from the Brexit campaign in protest at Leave claims about funding for the NHS, slamming it as ‘post-truth politics’.
Dr Sarah Wollaston, chairman of the health select committee, said Vote Leave’s claim that leaving the EU would hand the NHS an extra £350million a week ‘simply isn’t true’.
The Totnes MP said she was changing sides because she was not comfortable with the claim being on the side of the Brexit battle bus.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme she said: “I think right from the outset there are people from within the Leave campaign who acknowledge in private that they know this isn’t true.
This is a kind of post-truth politics.
“Having come into to public life campaigning about open and honest data, I can’t step foot on a battle bus or distribute a leaflet with information that I know to be untrue and I’ve told them that.”
She said after listening to the economic arguments she thought there would be a "Brexit penalty" on the NHS because leaving the EU would hit Britain's economy.
Brexit campaigner and Tory MP John Redwood told the programme he hoped she’d change her mind.
And he defended the use of the £350million figure.
He said: “I have been clear that this is a gross contribution then there’s the [amount] we could spend on our priorities.
“I hope Sarah will think again.
“It’s not a lie, it’s the gross contribution.”
Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Brexit campaigner and Tory MP John Redwood said he hoped she’d change her mind.
And he defended the use of the £350million figure.
Vote Leave has it on the side of its battle bus saying Britain sends this amount to Brussels every week.
He said: “I have been clear that this is a gross contribution then there’s the [amount] we could spend on our priorities.
“I hope Sarah will think again.
“It’s not a lie, it’s the gross contribution.”
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But she responded: “Fundamentally I disagree with him because the overwhelming weight of the evidence is there will be an economic penalty.
“The idea that you have £350million is completely fallacious because it doesn’t take account of the rebate, it doesn’t take account of the things that flow back from Europe.
“It’s completely untrue.”
And in a BBC television interview she defended her decision to change sides saying "nobody wants politicians who make the wrong decision" and it would be "far worse" not to change her mind.
Dr Wollaston’s defection comes as Tory veteran Sir John Nott, who was Margaret Thatcher’s defence secretary during the Falklands War, announces he has suspended his Conservative Party membership because of David Cameron’s ‘tirade of fear’.
Sir John says the Prime Minister and the Chancellor have ‘poisoned the debate’ with their so-called Project Fear warnings about what would happen if Britain leaves the EU.
And he said he will not renew his membership until there’s a change of leadership.
He told Daily Telegraph: “I was shocked when Cameron and, in particular Osborne, launched into to this fairly frenetic campaign in favour of the EU.
He added: “I haven’t renounced [Conservative Party membership].
“I’m not joining any other party. I’m just saying that I won’t renew my subscription for the time being until we have a change in leadership.”