Rees Mogg brands NHS consultant neurologist ‘as irresponsible as anti vac doctor Andrew Wakefield’

Jacob Rees Mogg brands NHS consultant neurologist ‘as irresponsible as anti vac doctor Andrew Wakefield’ after he tackled him over hospitals running out of medicines in event of No-Deal Brexit

• The leader of the house compared a doctor with whom he clashed about  Brexit preparedness to the disgraced MMR vaccine scaremonger Andrew Wakefield
• On Monday Dr David Nicholl predicted deaths arising from a No Deal Brexit
• The neurologist contributed to the leaked Operation Yellowhammer report
• On LBC radio Mr Rees Mogg called the doctor an ‘irresponsible Remoaner’ 
• Comments today might be actionable, it was said, it repeated outside Parliament

By Joel Adams For Mailonline

Published: 15:12 BST, 5 September 2019 | Updated: 15:36 BST, 5 September 2019

Jacob Ress-Mogg is under fire again this afternoon, for comparing a doctor with whom he clashed over the government’s Brexit preparedness with the disgraced former surgeon responsible sowing unfounded doubts about the safety of vaccines.

On Monday consultant neurologist Dr David Nicholl rang in to the Commons Leader’s LBC radio show and asked how many extra deaths Mr Rees-Mogg would accept as a result of a lack of drugs under a No Deal Brexit.

Dr Nicholl was involved in Operation Yellowhammer and predicted fatalities would increase but Mr Rees-Mogg accused him of ‘fear-mongering on public radio’.

This lunchtime in the Commons Mr Rees-Mogg doubled down his attack on Mr Nicholl, saying: ‘Preparations are in place and they are being done with remarkable efficiency. But yes, a lot of Remainers wish to make our skins crawl.

‘What he had to say, I will repeat it, is as irresponsible as Dr Wakefield in threatening that people will die because we leave the European Union. What level of irresponsibility was that?

‘And I’m afraid it seems to me that Dr David Nicoll is as irresponsible as Dr Wakefield.’ 

Jacob Rees Mogg said Dr David Nicholl was as irresponsible as Andrew Wakefield

Former Tory MP Sarah Wollaston, herself a doctor, suggested Rees Mogg could be sued for slander were it not for the protection of Parliamentary privelege

Dr Nicholl is a respected NHS conultant neurologist who contributed to the leaked Operation Yellowhammer planning document which predicted shortages of medicines, food and fuel in the event of No Deal.

Whereas Andrew Wakefield was struck off the medical register for unethical behaviour after his discredited research linked autism to the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

The Leader’s incendiary comments come as former Tory MP Dr Phillip Lee said he crossed the floor on Tuesday as a result of Mr Rees Mogg’s clash with Dr Nicholl. 

The new Liberal Democrat told Sky News: ‘Jacob Rees-Mogg was just disgraceful in his manner and the way in which he spoke to a member of my profession.

‘So if I am going to cite an incident, the straw that broke the camel’s back, it was that.

‘It was disgraceful, it was about ignoring evidence, it was about showing disrespect to experts, to people with professional standing and knowledge.’

On the radio on Monday Dr Nicholl called in to say: ‘I wrote the plans of mitigation’ but Mr Rees-Mogg called him a ‘Remoaner’ replying: ‘Well you didn’t write very good plans.’ 

He claimed there were ‘reserve plans to fly drugs in if necessary’.   

Dr Nicholl warned that people could die because of potential problems with access to drugs and radioactive isotopes in the event of a No Deal Brexit. 

He said: ‘This is a major focus of Government policy. I think it’s deeply irresponsible, Dr Nicholl, of you to call in and try to spread fear across the country.

‘I think it’s typical of Remainer campaigners and you should be quite ashamed, I’m afraid.’ 

On his radio show on Monday Mr Rees-Mogg accused Dr Nicholl of not creating good enough mitigation plans 

Dr David Nicholl, who rang his LBC radio call-in show, was labelled a ‘Remoaner’ by Rees-Mogg

Dr Nicholl later challenged Mr Rees-Mogg to report him to the General Medical Council (GMC).

‘If he has got doubts about my probity, I am more than happy to be referred to the GMC,’ he said.

‘I am not bothered about Jacob Rees-Mogg. I’m not going to take a single word of health lessons from a muppet like him.’

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