Emma Reynolds, Labour MP for Wolverhampton North East, has called on the government to give the £350 million a week to the NHS that was promised during the EU referendum campaign. Raising the issue in the House of Commons, Emma asked: “On the day of the referendum, I met an NHS worker who had voted to leave the European Union precisely because she thought that more money would be available for the NHS, thanks to the “£350 million a week” that was emblazoned on the Vote Leave bus. When we leave the European Union, will the NHS get that money?”

David Gauke, Chief Secretary to the Treasury replied: “It is certainly not for me to justify or explain the pledges that were made by the leave campaign, but I will say that public spending decisions must be made in the context of the economic and fiscal situation.”

Speaking afterwards, Emma said: “One of the key promises made by the Leave campaign was that an additional £350 million a week would be given to the NHS. The NHS worker I spoke to voted leave because of this commitment. Many other people decided how to vote based on promises such as this and as such it is vitally important that they are kept.

“Since the referendum there have been repeated attempts by leave campaigners to disown what they said in the campaign – such as Nigel Farage saying that it was ‘a mistake’ to promise the NHS extra money, and Michael Gove revising the promised £350 million down to £100 million.

“This is not acceptable and I will continue to hold to account those politicians who made these promises, many of whom are now government ministers, such as Boris Johnson, so that the NHS gets the additional money.”

October 2016