Brexiteer Esther McVey has come under fire after sharing a debunked article suggesting all EU member states will be forced to adopt the Euro by 2020.
“Are the public aware of this?” the former DWP secretary tweeted on Sunday. “And the many other things the EU has planned for its member states after 2020? #trust #WatchOut”
McVey, who resigned from government in November over Theresa May’s Brexit deal, has been accused of using the speculative op-ed – which was published almost five years ago – to whip up feeling for a hard Brexit ahead of a week of crucial votes in parliament.
On Tuesday, MPs are expected to be faced with a second meaningful vote on the prime minister’s plan to leave the EU. It comes less than two months after the first vote on May’s deal, which saw the PM handed an historic defeat.
If the Commons once again fails to get behind May’s deal, a no-deal Brexit could be taken off the table in a matter of days, while MPs could vote to delay the UK’s exit from the EU.
McVey’s tweet – which was deleted on Monday morning – sparked more than 3,000 replies, with many accusing the former Cabinet minister of “lying to fit her ideology”.
But the Tatton MP has yet to apologise for sharing the article, writing in a second tweet: “From reading the comments, even if you don’t agree with the article I posted, I think we can all agree on one thing – we never want the UK to join the Euro. True or false? #true”