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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2016/jun/09/eu-referendum-live-wollaston-remain-vote-leave-sturgeon-johnson

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EU referendum live: Tory MP defects to remain over Vote Leave's 'untrue' NHS claims EU referendum live: Tory MP defects to remain over Vote Leave's 'untrue' NHS claims
(35 minutes later)
9.23am BST
09:23
Just for reference, here is a post showing what the cross-party Commons Treasury committee and the Institute for Fiscal Studies are saying about the Vote Leave £350m figure that Sarah Wollaston has denounced as a lie. The Treasury committee says it is “highly misleading” and the IFS says it includes assumptions that are “clearly absurd”.
9.07am BST
09:07
Wollaston accuses Vote Leave of practising 'post-truth politics'
Here is Sarah Wollaston’s article in the Times (paywall) explaining why she has changed her mind on Brexit and now decided that she is in favour of staying in the EU.
In the article Wollaston, a Tory MP, chair of the Commons health committee and a former GP, says that Vote Leave’s claim that leaving the EU would save £350m a week which could go to the NHS is not true, that Brexit would damage the NHS because it would damage the economy and that the Leave campaign, by focusing on immigration, “looks increasingly indistinguishable from Ukip”.
She also suggests she has been influenced by conversations with her father.
In recent weeks I have also observed the professionalism and care of the NHS from my father’s bedside as he recovered from a heart attack and a triple bypass. We had time for long conversations about the referendum and our place in Europe. Now 81, as a teenager he was trained as a mine clearance diver with the Royal Navy. For him, the risk of war in Europe is not some abstract debate but a horror against which the EU, for all its imperfections, has brought us protection.
In an interview on the Today programme a few minutes ago she said that some Vote Leave campaigners admit in private that their claim about EU membership costing £350m a week is not true. She accused them of practising “post-truth politics”.
I think right from the outset there are people within the Leave campaign who acknowledge in private that they know this is not true, but what they are trying to encourage is a discussion about the amount. Well, this is a kind of post-truth politics. Having come into public life complaining about open and honest data, I can’t step foot on a battlebus or distribute a leaflet with information that I know to be untrue. And I’ve told them that.
8.47am BST8.47am BST
08:4708:47
Theresa Villiers, the Northern Ireland secretary and one of the cabinet minister backing Brexit, has accused Sir John Major and Tony Blair of scaremongering. In a statement issued by Vote Leave she said:Theresa Villiers, the Northern Ireland secretary and one of the cabinet minister backing Brexit, has accused Sir John Major and Tony Blair of scaremongering. In a statement issued by Vote Leave she said:
Support for the peace process in Northern Ireland is rock solid. The vast majority of people in Northern Ireland believe their future should only ever be determined by democracy and consent and not by violence. I very much hope figures who played such an important role in the peace process would not suggest that a Brexit vote would weaken that resolve in any way. Whatever the result of the referendum, Northern Ireland is not going back to the troubles of its past and to suggest otherwise would be highly irresponsible.Support for the peace process in Northern Ireland is rock solid. The vast majority of people in Northern Ireland believe their future should only ever be determined by democracy and consent and not by violence. I very much hope figures who played such an important role in the peace process would not suggest that a Brexit vote would weaken that resolve in any way. Whatever the result of the referendum, Northern Ireland is not going back to the troubles of its past and to suggest otherwise would be highly irresponsible.
8.31am BST8.31am BST
08:3108:31
Andrew SparrowAndrew Sparrow
Good morning. I’m Andrew Sparrow, taking over from Claire.Good morning. I’m Andrew Sparrow, taking over from Claire.
We’ve already mentioned the fact that Sir John Major and Tony Blair will be campaigning together in Northern Ireland today, highlighting the threat Brexit would pose to the peace process, and to the unity of the UK as a whole.We’ve already mentioned the fact that Sir John Major and Tony Blair will be campaigning together in Northern Ireland today, highlighting the threat Brexit would pose to the peace process, and to the unity of the UK as a whole.
According to remarks released in advance, Major will say:According to remarks released in advance, Major will say:
I believe it would be a dreadful mistake to do anything that has any risk of destabilising the complicated and multi-layered constitutional settlement that underpins stability in Northern Ireland.I believe it would be a dreadful mistake to do anything that has any risk of destabilising the complicated and multi-layered constitutional settlement that underpins stability in Northern Ireland.
But that is what a British exit from the EU would do: it would throw all of the pieces of the constitutional jigsaw into the air again, and no-one could say where they might land ...But that is what a British exit from the EU would do: it would throw all of the pieces of the constitutional jigsaw into the air again, and no-one could say where they might land ...
The most successful union in world history would be broken apart for good.The most successful union in world history would be broken apart for good.
And Blair will say:And Blair will say:
I say, don’t take a punt on these people [the Leave campaign]. Don’t let them take risks with Northern Ireland’s future. Don’t let them undermine our United Kingdom ...I say, don’t take a punt on these people [the Leave campaign]. Don’t let them take risks with Northern Ireland’s future. Don’t let them undermine our United Kingdom ...
We understand that, although today Northern Ireland is more stable and more prosperous than ever, that stability is poised on carefully constructed foundations. And so we are naturally concerned at the prospect of anything that could put those foundations at risk.We understand that, although today Northern Ireland is more stable and more prosperous than ever, that stability is poised on carefully constructed foundations. And so we are naturally concerned at the prospect of anything that could put those foundations at risk.
7.58am BST7.58am BST
07:5807:58
Claire PhippsClaire Phipps
Time for me to log off and leave you in the hands of Andrew Sparrow for the rest of today’s action and mudslinging.Time for me to log off and leave you in the hands of Andrew Sparrow for the rest of today’s action and mudslinging.
Thanks for reading and for the comments.Thanks for reading and for the comments.
7.56am BST7.56am BST
07:5607:56
Reuters reports that the Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis, the country’s leading forecaster, has warned that Dutch exposure to a possible British exit would be greater than for other members of the EU and could trim 1.2% percent off the Netherlands economy by 2030:Reuters reports that the Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis, the country’s leading forecaster, has warned that Dutch exposure to a possible British exit would be greater than for other members of the EU and could trim 1.2% percent off the Netherlands economy by 2030:
A Brexit will have a relatively severe effect on the economy of the Netherlands,” it said.A Brexit will have a relatively severe effect on the economy of the Netherlands,” it said.
The CPB’s analysis, which reviewed four other Brexit scenarios in the EU, provided the most negative outlook yet on the possible impact of a British exit for the Netherlands. The government and central bank have so far said the impact would be limited.The CPB’s analysis, which reviewed four other Brexit scenarios in the EU, provided the most negative outlook yet on the possible impact of a British exit for the Netherlands. The government and central bank have so far said the impact would be limited.
Brexit-related costs may reach €10bn, or 1.2% of the Dutch economy, which is the sixth largest in the bloc. They could increase by as much as 65% to 2% of GDP, said the CPB, whose forecasts are used by the government to determine budget policy.Brexit-related costs may reach €10bn, or 1.2% of the Dutch economy, which is the sixth largest in the bloc. They could increase by as much as 65% to 2% of GDP, said the CPB, whose forecasts are used by the government to determine budget policy.
Britain’s withdrawal from the EU would take two years, while uncertainty about trade agreements between the EU and Britain would have an impact on investment in Britain, it said.Britain’s withdrawal from the EU would take two years, while uncertainty about trade agreements between the EU and Britain would have an impact on investment in Britain, it said.
Renegotiating trade agreements could take several years but even if completed successfully the Dutch economy would be worse off, the CPB said.Renegotiating trade agreements could take several years but even if completed successfully the Dutch economy would be worse off, the CPB said.
“The economic damage caused by that uncertainty will be the greatest in the short term and can already be seen in the run-up to the UK referendum,” it said.“The economic damage caused by that uncertainty will be the greatest in the short term and can already be seen in the run-up to the UK referendum,” it said.
The worst-hit sectors of the Dutch economy would be chemicals, plastics and rubber, electronic equipment, motor vehicles and parts, the food processing industry and metals and minerals, the CPB said.The worst-hit sectors of the Dutch economy would be chemicals, plastics and rubber, electronic equipment, motor vehicles and parts, the food processing industry and metals and minerals, the CPB said.
7.45am BST7.45am BST
07:4507:45
An eagle-eyed reader spots a flaw in today’s diary:An eagle-eyed reader spots a flaw in today’s diary:
How is Gisela Stuart on the ITV debate and at the Oxford Union at the same time? Has she cloned herself?How is Gisela Stuart on the ITV debate and at the Oxford Union at the same time? Has she cloned herself?
Curiously, both ITV and the Oxford Union are claming Gisela Stuart on their stages tonight, at overlapping times.Curiously, both ITV and the Oxford Union are claming Gisela Stuart on their stages tonight, at overlapping times.
I imagine one of them – possibly the prime-time TV option – will win out, but we’ll let you know.I imagine one of them – possibly the prime-time TV option – will win out, but we’ll let you know.
Alternatively, Stuart could try out that old sitcom favourite, the two-timer date, and dash from studio to spires between questions.Alternatively, Stuart could try out that old sitcom favourite, the two-timer date, and dash from studio to spires between questions.
7.30am BST7.30am BST
07:3007:30
It’s only breakfast time and we have the first Nazi reference of the day. And a derogatory mental health reference for good measure. Sigh.It’s only breakfast time and we have the first Nazi reference of the day. And a derogatory mental health reference for good measure. Sigh.
It comes courtesy of Alan Sked, the founder of Ukip, as Press Association reports:It comes courtesy of Alan Sked, the founder of Ukip, as Press Association reports:
The Remain campaign’s tactics have been compared to those of Nazi propaganda chief Josef Goebbels by the founder of Ukip.The Remain campaign’s tactics have been compared to those of Nazi propaganda chief Josef Goebbels by the founder of Ukip.
Professor Alan Sked also used a speech at the London School of Economics to suggest that prime minister David Cameron was a lunatic.Professor Alan Sked also used a speech at the London School of Economics to suggest that prime minister David Cameron was a lunatic.
Sked said Remain “seeks to scare the voters with a Big Lie technique that Josef Goebbels himself would have been proud of”.Sked said Remain “seeks to scare the voters with a Big Lie technique that Josef Goebbels himself would have been proud of”.
He went on:He went on:
We are told that Brexit – that is to say, the re-establishment of a harmless, normally self-governing, democratic Britain – would lead to war, genocide, economic collapse, terrorist infiltration, isolation and much worse.We are told that Brexit – that is to say, the re-establishment of a harmless, normally self-governing, democratic Britain – would lead to war, genocide, economic collapse, terrorist infiltration, isolation and much worse.
Not so long ago people who went around crying that the end of the world is nigh were locked up in lunatic asylums. Today they are allowed to live in Downing Street.Not so long ago people who went around crying that the end of the world is nigh were locked up in lunatic asylums. Today they are allowed to live in Downing Street.
7.27am BST7.27am BST
07:2707:27
Sarah Wollaston has clearly been uncomfortable with the £350m figure for a while, at least:Sarah Wollaston has clearly been uncomfortable with the £350m figure for a while, at least:
.@vote_leave should stop using the £350m/week figure. It is misleading & undermines their arguments as on @BBCNewsnight.@vote_leave should stop using the £350m/week figure. It is misleading & undermines their arguments as on @BBCNewsnight
7.19am BST7.19am BST
07:1907:19
John Redwood has been speaking on the Today programme about the case for leave and that £350m figure that Sarah Wollaston, in her reasoning for switching sides, called “untrue”.John Redwood has been speaking on the Today programme about the case for leave and that £350m figure that Sarah Wollaston, in her reasoning for switching sides, called “untrue”.
Redwood insisted Vote Leave was correct to use the figure:Redwood insisted Vote Leave was correct to use the figure:
It’s the gross figure … You then need to allow for the fact that we get a rebate … That is the official gross figure.It’s the gross figure … You then need to allow for the fact that we get a rebate … That is the official gross figure.
He said pro-Brexit politicians would “want to carry on paying that money” that currently comes back from the EU to farmers and others within the UK.He said pro-Brexit politicians would “want to carry on paying that money” that currently comes back from the EU to farmers and others within the UK.
Today presenter Nick Robinson pressed him pretty forcefully on the £350m:Today presenter Nick Robinson pressed him pretty forcefully on the £350m:
We don’t actually send it … We only send what the discounted bill is, it’s £267m.We don’t actually send it … We only send what the discounted bill is, it’s £267m.
After what is spent of that £267 in Britain, Robinson says, the real figure is £161m.After what is spent of that £267 in Britain, Robinson says, the real figure is £161m.
That’s not the point, Redwood told him:That’s not the point, Redwood told him:
It’s the money that we could spend on our priorities … We could do so out of all the money we’d save.It’s the money that we could spend on our priorities … We could do so out of all the money we’d save.
He insisted the £350m figure was “not a lie”.He insisted the £350m figure was “not a lie”.
Questioned on comments by George Osborne yesterday that suggested Turkish membership of the EU was not on the cards, Redwood said:Questioned on comments by George Osborne yesterday that suggested Turkish membership of the EU was not on the cards, Redwood said:
That is against government policy.That is against government policy.
The government has made it very clear they wish to help accelerate Turkish membership.The government has made it very clear they wish to help accelerate Turkish membership.
He’s clearly wrong.He’s clearly wrong.
UpdatedUpdated
at 7.32am BSTat 7.32am BST
6.57am BST6.57am BST
06:5706:57
Morning briefingMorning briefing
Claire PhippsClaire Phipps
Good morning and welcome to the daily EU referendum live blog. I’ve scooped up all you need to know for the day ahead; Andrew Sparrow will be along later to take his seat. Do come and chat in the comments below or find me on Twitter @Claire_Phipps.Good morning and welcome to the daily EU referendum live blog. I’ve scooped up all you need to know for the day ahead; Andrew Sparrow will be along later to take his seat. Do come and chat in the comments below or find me on Twitter @Claire_Phipps.
The big pictureThe big picture
A boost for Bremain (sorry, I fell for the alliteration) this morning, with news that Tory MP Dr Sarah Wollaston, previously a Brexit backer, has now said she will vote for Britain to stay in the EU. The push that became a shove was, the former GP says, the claim by Vote Leave that quitting would free up £350m a week for the NHS – something she says “simply isn’t true”:A boost for Bremain (sorry, I fell for the alliteration) this morning, with news that Tory MP Dr Sarah Wollaston, previously a Brexit backer, has now said she will vote for Britain to stay in the EU. The push that became a shove was, the former GP says, the claim by Vote Leave that quitting would free up £350m a week for the NHS – something she says “simply isn’t true”:
For someone like me who has long campaigned for open and honest data in public life I could not have set foot on a battle bus that has at the heart of its campaign a figure that I know to be untrue.For someone like me who has long campaigned for open and honest data in public life I could not have set foot on a battle bus that has at the heart of its campaign a figure that I know to be untrue.
If you’re in a position where you can’t hand out a Vote Leave leaflet, you can’t be campaigning for that organisation.If you’re in a position where you can’t hand out a Vote Leave leaflet, you can’t be campaigning for that organisation.
In an article for the Times (I cannot find it on the website but see it here), Wollaston adds:In an article for the Times (I cannot find it on the website but see it here), Wollaston adds:
The Leave campaign has redrawn its battle lines around immigration for the final weeks of the campaign and looks increasingly indistinguishable from Ukip.The Leave campaign has redrawn its battle lines around immigration for the final weeks of the campaign and looks increasingly indistinguishable from Ukip.
Does the defection of one MP matter much? David Cameron is certainly pleased. Responses from the leave side range from critical to dismissive to conspiracy theorist. Perhaps, though, it suggests – as the c12% of undecided voters might confirm – there are people who have been waiting to hear the arguments before they settle in a camp. The very idea!Does the defection of one MP matter much? David Cameron is certainly pleased. Responses from the leave side range from critical to dismissive to conspiracy theorist. Perhaps, though, it suggests – as the c12% of undecided voters might confirm – there are people who have been waiting to hear the arguments before they settle in a camp. The very idea!
Of course I understand that politicians are not allowed to change their minds but real people doOf course I understand that politicians are not allowed to change their minds but real people do
Don’t expect any floor-crossing this evening as ITV hosts a referendum debate that is actually a debate featuring, for remain, Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon, Tory energy secretary Amber Rudd and Labour’s shadow business secretary Angela Eagle; and for leave, Conservatives Boris Johnson and energy minister Andrea Leadsom, and Labour’s Gisela Stuart. ITV’s Julie Etchingham moderates again.Don’t expect any floor-crossing this evening as ITV hosts a referendum debate that is actually a debate featuring, for remain, Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon, Tory energy secretary Amber Rudd and Labour’s shadow business secretary Angela Eagle; and for leave, Conservatives Boris Johnson and energy minister Andrea Leadsom, and Labour’s Gisela Stuart. ITV’s Julie Etchingham moderates again.
Expect: questions on a second Scottish referendum; disputes over that £350m figure; Tory leadership speculation; some sort of joke from Johnson about being the only man on the stage as if that isn’t (reversed) absolutely the normal state of affairs for every single woman in politics.Expect: questions on a second Scottish referendum; disputes over that £350m figure; Tory leadership speculation; some sort of joke from Johnson about being the only man on the stage as if that isn’t (reversed) absolutely the normal state of affairs for every single woman in politics.
And after the debate, please don’t all rush at once to register to vote before the all-new midnight Thursday deadline. MPs will vote earlier in the day to allow the 48-hour extension to the registration deadline, following the crashing of the official website as the original cut-off point approached on Tuesday night.And after the debate, please don’t all rush at once to register to vote before the all-new midnight Thursday deadline. MPs will vote earlier in the day to allow the 48-hour extension to the registration deadline, following the crashing of the official website as the original cut-off point approached on Tuesday night.
Pro-Brexit Tory MP Bernard Jenkin and Leave.EU funder Arron Banks have both warned that that if the result of the referendum were to be close, the decision to extend the deadline could be challenged by a judicial review. But the Electoral Commission said it supported the extension.Pro-Brexit Tory MP Bernard Jenkin and Leave.EU funder Arron Banks have both warned that that if the result of the referendum were to be close, the decision to extend the deadline could be challenged by a judicial review. But the Electoral Commission said it supported the extension.
You should also know:You should also know:
Poll positionPoll position
No fresh polls today. Enjoy the silence.No fresh polls today. Enjoy the silence.
DiaryDiary
Read theseRead these
Nicholas Vinocur and Tara Palmeri in Politico say France will not play nicely in the event that Britain votes to leave the EU:Nicholas Vinocur and Tara Palmeri in Politico say France will not play nicely in the event that Britain votes to leave the EU:
The French push is focused on convincing the remaining EU countries to unwind all treaties and agreements binding the UK to the bloc quickly, so the divorce is sealed by withdrawing subsidies, re-evaluating trade relationships sector by sector, denying British supervisory bodies EU recognition in areas like financial services, and establishing new immigration rules, to name just a few levers …The French push is focused on convincing the remaining EU countries to unwind all treaties and agreements binding the UK to the bloc quickly, so the divorce is sealed by withdrawing subsidies, re-evaluating trade relationships sector by sector, denying British supervisory bodies EU recognition in areas like financial services, and establishing new immigration rules, to name just a few levers …
France would not be acting out of spite, officials said, and has no interest in setting off a tit-for-tat war of punitive measures. But as a core EU member, sources said it had a responsibility to strengthen the bloc and deprive anti-EU parties – not just the FN but also the likes of Geert Wilders’ Party for Freedom in the Netherlands – of a chance to use Britain as a shining example of what life can be after the European Union.France would not be acting out of spite, officials said, and has no interest in setting off a tit-for-tat war of punitive measures. But as a core EU member, sources said it had a responsibility to strengthen the bloc and deprive anti-EU parties – not just the FN but also the likes of Geert Wilders’ Party for Freedom in the Netherlands – of a chance to use Britain as a shining example of what life can be after the European Union.
The Spectator pits Matthew Parris and Daniel Hannan against each other to give their best reasons to vote In or Out (I’m going to let readers assume which of them argues which case). A taster:The Spectator pits Matthew Parris and Daniel Hannan against each other to give their best reasons to vote In or Out (I’m going to let readers assume which of them argues which case). A taster:
Europe has become a proxy for people’s sense of powerlessness.Europe has become a proxy for people’s sense of powerlessness.
Ask yourself, though, who the ‘we’ are who would be ‘taking back control’. The ‘we’ used by Brexiteers is menacingly unspecific. Some of the ‘we’ want much less regulation, some want much more, some want different. The collective ‘we’ can only survive the first few yards of this journey – from now until 24 June. After any decision to leave, that sense of purpose would fragment.Ask yourself, though, who the ‘we’ are who would be ‘taking back control’. The ‘we’ used by Brexiteers is menacingly unspecific. Some of the ‘we’ want much less regulation, some want much more, some want different. The collective ‘we’ can only survive the first few yards of this journey – from now until 24 June. After any decision to leave, that sense of purpose would fragment.
‘Europe’ has soaked up for us a million gripes about the modern world: a proxy and convenient target for a national irritability which, were Europe to be removed, would not go away.‘Europe’ has soaked up for us a million gripes about the modern world: a proxy and convenient target for a national irritability which, were Europe to be removed, would not go away.
Baffling claim of the dayBaffling claim of the day
The Telegraph leads today with the news that “Thatcher minister quits Tories in Brexit row”. The minister is Sir John Nott, the row is that he says he won’t renew his party membership until Cameron is replaced as leader, and the baffling bit is that the article says Nott “is understood to have voted for Ukip in European elections” in 2014 anyway.The Telegraph leads today with the news that “Thatcher minister quits Tories in Brexit row”. The minister is Sir John Nott, the row is that he says he won’t renew his party membership until Cameron is replaced as leader, and the baffling bit is that the article says Nott “is understood to have voted for Ukip in European elections” in 2014 anyway.
Celebrity endorsement of the dayCelebrity endorsement of the day
Former US president and potential First Dude-in-waiting Bill Clinton, writing in the New Statesman (again, apparently not online yet; the morning briefing is just too darned ahead of itself), cites the “future properity and peace” of Northern Ireland as a reason to vote remain:Former US president and potential First Dude-in-waiting Bill Clinton, writing in the New Statesman (again, apparently not online yet; the morning briefing is just too darned ahead of itself), cites the “future properity and peace” of Northern Ireland as a reason to vote remain:
Britain is a leading representative of Europe throughout the world … I hope you will stay.Britain is a leading representative of Europe throughout the world … I hope you will stay.
The archbishop of York, John Sentamu, has come to the same conclusion, writing in the Telegraph today:The archbishop of York, John Sentamu, has come to the same conclusion, writing in the Telegraph today:
Not all decisions should be made purely on the basis of ‘What’s in it for us?’ It is also significant, therefore, that a far higher percentage of young people wish to stay in the EU than older people; it is they, principally, who will have to live with the consequences of the decision that we take on June 23.Not all decisions should be made purely on the basis of ‘What’s in it for us?’ It is also significant, therefore, that a far higher percentage of young people wish to stay in the EU than older people; it is they, principally, who will have to live with the consequences of the decision that we take on June 23.
The day in a tweetThe day in a tweet
Remain supporters may be gloating about the Sarah Wollaston defection now, but just you wait till Grassroots Out unveil Cameron tomorrowRemain supporters may be gloating about the Sarah Wollaston defection now, but just you wait till Grassroots Out unveil Cameron tomorrow
If today were a book ...If today were a book ...
It would be Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. Or Tom’s Midnight Garden. Or Midnight Express. Anything with midnight in it, basically. MIDNIGHT. Got that?It would be Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. Or Tom’s Midnight Garden. Or Midnight Express. Anything with midnight in it, basically. MIDNIGHT. Got that?
And another thingAnd another thing
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