Lawson says bill for EU leaflets is scandal
CONSERVATIVE former chancellor Lord Lawson has blasted the UK Government’s expenditure of more than £9 million of taxpayers’ cash on pro-EU leaflets, branding it a “scandal”.
The Tory peer, a key figure in the Vote Leave campaign, argued it is “outrageous” that “pretty worthless propaganda” is being sent out “with the civil service behind it”.
Ministers face being forced to justify in Parliament the decision to spend cash on the pamphlets after a petition opposing the idea secured the required 100,000 signatures.
The move to send one to every household in the country setting out the case for voting to stay in the EU in June’s referendum provoked a blistering row between Remain and Leave supporters.
Justice Secretary Michael Gove attacked the idea of taxpayers funding “one-sided propaganda” rather than the NHS after Prime Minister David Cameron insisted it was “money well spent”.
The petition, submitted by Get Britain Out director Jayne Adye, currently has 196,743 signatures, meaning it has to be considered for debate in Parliament.
Lord Lawson told BBC One’s The Andrew Marr Show: “I think a lot of people who haven’t made up their mind particularly feel that it’s outrageous that this propaganda leaflet should be put through – and it is pure propaganda, pretty worthless propaganda – put out in the Government’s name, with the civil service behind it at the taxpayer’s expense.
“I think many people feel that that is a scandal.”