EU referendum: Vote Leave are not doing themselves any favours as Tyrie calls non-appearance in front of MPs “unacceptable”
Vote Leave is not doing itself any favours.
The official group campaigning to leave the EU has incurred the ire of the Treasury Select Committee's chairman after cancelling a scheduled appearance in front of MPs.
Matthew Elliott, the chief executive of Vote Leave has declined to give evidence in front of the committee tomorrow because of a "prior engagement to see politicians in Switzerland".
Read more: Vote Leave says Cabinet Office is silencing pro-Brexit businesses
Elliott had initially meant to face MPs in a hearing last week, but could not due to personal reasons, which the committee said was understandable. This week, Tyrie is less forgiving.
"Mr Elliott’s decision is unacceptable, and does not reflect well on Vote Leave," said chairman of the committee Andrew Tyrie in his ticking off today. “Vote Leave’s response to requests to give evidence is not making Parliament’s job any easier.”
At last week's session, Vote Leave campaign director Dominic Cummings claimed UK business was being prevented from coming out in support of leaving the EU because of threats from Downing Street and the Cabinet Office.
A Vote Leave spokesperson said: "Boris spent three hours with the committee and Dominic Cummings spent four hours with the committee while the BSE campaign spent barely one hour with the committee. We will always be happy to give Mr Tyrie, a supporter of the disastrous ERM and euro, more information about the £350m we send to the EU every week that we could spend on our priorities like the NHS."