A senior doctor heavily involved in NHS strike action has said Brexit enabled racists, blamed the Tories for “enabling pond life” and suggested Russia duped voters into leaving the EU in a sensational rant. Mike Henley, deputy chairman of the Consultants Committee and a BMA member, made the inflammatory remarks in a heated online spat about gender pronouns and trans issues.
Taking to Twitter he wrote: “In the same way that Brexit enabled racists, the Tory leadership contenders falling over themselves to ‘wage war on woke’ is enabling another section of pond life.”
The doctor also claimed the UK had been “manipulated into Brexit by Russian influence and money to destabilise Europe”.
Brexit-backing MP Ben Bradley slammed the “utterly disgraceful” remarks.
Meanwhile fellow Tory Paul Bristow, who sits on the Health Select Committee, attacked the BMA for being “more interested in knocking the Government than getting a fair and reasonable pay award”.
He added: “They should call off the strike, negotiate in good faith and prioritise patient care.”
This comes as consultants, who on average earn a salary of £128,000, opted to walk out demanding a 35 per cent pay rise.
Consultants in England will strike on July 20 and 21 and junior doctors will walk out from July 13 to 18.
The comments, which were made in 2022, did not dub Brexit voters as racist and the Tories of enabling “pond life” according to the BMA.
The body said its priority was on improving pay and “not being diverted to discussing personal and often historic activity on social media sites”.
Defending the junior doctors’ strike, which will be the longest in NHS history, Dr Robert Laurenson and Dr Vivek Trivedi, heads of the BMA’s junior doctors committee, said: “It has been almost a week since the last round of strikes finished but not once have we heard from Rishi Sunak or [Health Secretary] Steve Barclay in terms of reopening negotiations.
“What better indication of how committed they are to ending this dispute could we have? More than four-fifths of junior doctors report finding patients supportive – they understand the value of a fully staffed and resourced NHS.”
