Former communities secretary and “In” campaigner Sir Eric Pickles said others were likely to follow Dr Wollaston out of the Brexit exit and cross to the Remain campaign.
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Critics have suggested Dr Wollaston, a well-respected MP who entered politics to campaign on health, could have an eye on a role at the Department of Health in any post referendum reshuffle.
Senior Tory MP Sarah Wollaston has renounced her support of the Leave campaign and said she will vote for Remain instead.
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. This argument has featured prominently in Vote Leave’s campaigning.
Dr Wollaston, the chair of the influential House of Commons’ Health Select Committee, last night handed a major coup to David Cameron after she declared she had switched her support to Remain.
Two former prime ministers will warn of the risks Brexit poses to the unity of the United Kingdom as they campaign in Northern Ireland.
The media focus will switch to Boris Johnson on the night of the 9 June, as the chief Vote Leave spokesman takes part in a live European Union referendum debate show on ITV alongside SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon.
And tonight she has confirmed that she is abandoning the Brexit camp in favour of remain.
Speaking to BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg on Wednesday, she said the claim was “simply untrue”.
The Leave campaign has also been pulled up on its initial claim the £350m would go to the NHS – and have revised it down more recently to say £100m would be spent on the NHS.
“Sarah has a range of views and opinions, naturally, as a member of parliament, but I think the point to make about the £350 [million figure] is that we have been absolutely crystal-clear that that is a gross figure and importantly, that it is United Kingdom taxpayers’ money that is given to the European Union”, Patel told the BBC.
Brexit-backing Tory John Redwood said he hoped Dr Wollaston would reconsider.
Priti Patel, the employment minister, told the BBC it was a “gross figure” and recognition “of money that we send to the European Union that we have no control over as a government”. That’s the total amount of the UK’s contributions.
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‘We can do so out of all the money that we save and we would also be able to give that cancellation of Value-Added Tax on fuel to people’s households’.
