Boris Johnson blasted by Portsmouth MP for dodging Brexit medicine shortage fears

Portsmouth Labour leader Stephen Morgan hit out at the prime minister in parliament over fears a no-deal Brexit could lead to medicine shortages.

The Portsmouth South MP said he had been inundated by concerns from city residents who feared for the future of the NHS.

He said: ‘The prime minster has said the great city of Portsmouth is too full of obesity and drug addiction.

‘Despite this disgraceful inaccurate statement about my home city, how would he expect our much-loved NHS to deal with these issues when it is his government who is exposing us to medicine and staff shortages – according to his own health secretary – by hurtling us towards a no-deal Brexit?’

Responding, a fired-up Mr Johnson said: ‘I must correct the honourable gentleman because in fact unemployment is well down in his constituency, employment is up, and health outcomes are up.

‘When I made those remarks [about Portsmouth], which was many, many years ago, it was – I'm afraid – when his constituency had the sad misfortune to have a Labour government in power. That is no longer the case.’

Mr Morgan was left furious by the response and insisted crashing out of the EU without a deal would have ‘catastrophic consequences’, claiming that there were already 18,000 care staff shortages in the south east.

The city Labour leader added: ‘His utter refusal to answer my question is yet another example of him dodging democratic process and running scared from the people.’