NICOLA Sturgeon accused Boris Johnson of telling an “absolute whopper” of a lie during a heated debate on the EU referendum last night.
Immigration, the NHS, the economy, the Conservative Party and the character and tone of the two campaigns dominated the debate between prominent Remain and Leave campaigners.
Although there were six people on the panel, it had been billed heavily as Nicola Sturgeon versus Boris Johnson.
Before the debate, media analysis by the University of Loughborough confirmed what we all suspected: this campaign has been dominated white, Tory men.
But last night Johnson was the only man, supported on the Leave side by Tory minister Andrea Leadsom and Berlin-born Labour MP Gisela Stuart on the Leave side.
With Sturgeon, was Labour frontbencher Angela Eagle, and Tory secretary of state for the energy and climate change Amber Rudd. She and Sturgeon had clashed many times before but were on the same side for last night’s debate.
The two, along with Eagle were powerful allies. It wasn’t surprising to see the SNP leader and the Labour MP attack Johnson on the other side, but it was Rudd who went in for her party colleague with both feet.
“The only number Boris is interested in is number 10,” Rudd said referencing the former Mayor of London’s ambition for the top job.
Leave’s key argument was that a vote to exit the EU would allow Britain to “take back control”. They also cautioned voters not to be ground down by the “Project Fear” of the Remain side.
“To the prophets of doom, I say they are wrong in the past and they are wrong today” opened Boris. He referenced a speech by Sturgeon where she had previously criticised the Remain campaign as miserable, negative, fear-based.
Often when the First Minister would raise a query about a Leave side statistic, a Brexiteers asked: “Is that miserable, negative or fear-based?”
For the Remain side it was “trust the experts, as the Leave campaigners are blatantly lying to you.”
“Tonight you’re going to hear a lot of nonsense and even misinformation from the Leave campaign. Don’t fall for it” said Eagle, accusing those in favour of Brexit of dismissing workers rights as “red tape”.
One of the biggest clashes came over the BorisBus which toured key areas of England in a bid to get the Leave vote out on June 23. Emblazoned on the side, is the claim that the UK sends more than £350m a week to the EU which could be better spent on the NHS.
When Johnson was challenged on it, he replied: “It is perfectly true and verifiable that there is slightly more than £350 million a week that we do not control.”
Sturgeon said she was amazed Johnson defended the claim and warned those watching that it was a complete con, pointing to criticism of the figure from the UK Statistics Authority and a House of Commons select committee.
“It is an absolute whopper,” Sturgeon said, saying the contribution the UK make per person every week is less than £1.
“Get that lie off your bus,” Eagle shouted.
On the question of sovereignty, Sturgeon argumed that Scotland could be independent and part of the EU, and that being part of Europe was not a loss independence for the UK.
Johnson said: “It’s curious to hear this from Nicola, she’s obviously keener to be ruled by Brussels than she is by Westminster politicians.”
Leadsom accused Sturgeon of not behaving fairly, and said: “Isn’t it interesting that Nicola, in spite of the people of Scotland saying 55-45 they want to remain in the United Kingdom, she is determined to have another go because it was the wrong answer.
“She’s not a democrat.”
Sturgeon said it was no secret she was a supporter of independence, “but I want people to vote for Remain because that’s better for the people of Scotland and the UK.”
When pressed, the First Minister said she wasn’t here to speculate on what happens with a possible second Scottish independence referendum in the event of Brexit.
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