LBC host hits out at Remainer MP calling on Government to fulfil £350m NHS ‘pledge’

LBC presenter Clive Bull scolded Liberal Democrat MP Tom Brake, patron of the Vote Leave Watch campaign, after he claimed the Leave campaign “pledged” the money to the health service.

It comes after Vote Leave toured a bus with the words “we send the EU £350m a week, let’s fund our NHS instead” emblazoned across it in the lead up to the EU referendum.

Bull told the Carshalton and Wellington MP: “But the Government didn’t promise that money, Theresa May didn’t, Philip Hammond didn’t promise it.”

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MP Tom Brake is backing calls to the Chancellor to commit to the Leave campaign’s Brexit ‘pledge’

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The Brexit campaign weren’t in a position to make any pledges were they? Because they’re not a party of power, they’re just a group

LBC host Clive Bull

Mr Brake fired back: “It’s very clear in the Leave campaign, two pledges were made, one about immigration and the pledge made on these of that famous bus – £350m for the NHS – so we expect the Government to deliver on that.

“And I’m sure prominent ministers like Boris Johnson, Liam Fox, Preeti Patel and David Davis made that pledge, I’m sure they’ll be arguing in cabinet for that money to be available.”

The host questioned whether the MP really thought it was a “pledge” and said it was “more of an aspiration”.

Mr Brake called it “convenient” before Bull added: “I took it with a pinch of salt I saw it on the side of the bus and I thought well that’s an idea I didn’t take it as a pledge.

“The Brexit campaign weren’t in a position to make any pledges were they? Because they’re not a party of power, they’re just a group.”

The politician was accused of “calling their [the Government’s] bluff” after he said he did not see why the cross-party Vote Leave Watch letter to Philip Hammond was problematic.

He blasted: “The leave campaigners, who are now senior ministers in the cabinet, they worked out what the estimated cost of our membership of the EU was and they said that more was going to be available to spend on the NHS, so I can’t really see what the problem is.”