Doctor who Rees-mogg likened to anti-vaxxer threatens to sue

AN NHS doctor, who said a drugs shortage after Brexit could cause deaths, has threatened to sue Jacob Rees-mogg after the MP claimed he was as irresponsible as the doctor who made false claims about the MMR vaccine.

Mr Rees-mogg had said Dr David Nicholl was “as irresponsible as Dr [Andrew] Wakefield”, who was struck off for publishing a paper that claimed the MMR vaccine was linked to autism.

Dr Nicholl called an LBC radio phone-in show on Monday to tell Mr Rees-mogg that patients may die as a result of difficulty in obtaining drugs in the event of a no-deal Brexit. The pair disagreed about the effects of Brexit on drug supplies.

Yesterday, Mr Rees-mogg told MPS during a Commons business statement: “What he had to say, I will repeat it, is

‘If he wants to repeat that [allegation] outside Parliament, be under no illusion that I will sue’

as irresponsible as Dr Wakefield in threatening that people will die because we leave the European Union.”

Dr Nicholl challenged Mr Reesmogg to repeat his allegation outside the Commons chamber, where he is protected from libel action by Parliamentary privilege.

He told Channel 4 News: “If he wants to repeat that outside Parliament, be under no illusion that I will sue.”

Prof Dame Sally Davies, chief medical officer for England, revealed last night that she had written to Mr Reesmogg expressing her “sincere disappointment” in the “disrespectful way” he spoke to Dr Nicholl.

Dr Nicholl said: “I cannot thank her enough. This speaks volumes to all those who have concerns. You need to put your country first. If people have got concerns that a no-deal would cause harm, they should speak out.”