Dominic Cummings, the man behind the EU referendum ‘Leave’ campaign, has slammed Theresa May’s approach to Brexit as “unacceptable bullshit”.
In a series of tweets posted on Monday, Cummings criticised the prime minister’s decision to withdraw the UK from the Euratom agency that overseas the safe movement of nuclear materials in Europe.
He added that if May did not change strategy then the likes of Boris Johnson should tell her to resign.
Euratom is not part of the EU but it is under the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice (ECJ).
May has promised that her Brexit deal will see the UK leave the ECJ - which informed the decision to withdraw from Euratom.
The Evening Standard reported today there is a growing Tory backbench rebellion against the move amid warnings it could harm cancer patients because the delivery of radioactive isotopes used in scans could be delayed.
Roger Cashmore, the chair of the UK Atomic Energy Agency, also told BuzzFeed that leaving Euratom was “a mess” and “alarming”.
James Chapman, a former senior adviser to Brexit Secretary David Davis, told Sky News last week the issues connected to Euratom “weren’t properly explored” during the referendum campaign.
On Wednesday MPs will debate the government’s decision to leave the nuclear agency.
Rachel Reeves, the former Labour shadow cabinet minister, and Ed Vaizey, a former Tory minister, have also slammed the decision.
“There appears never to have been an ECJ case involving the UK and Euratom. But it does require us to continue to allow the free movement of nuclear scientists. For this reason, it appears, the Government has determined the UK should leave. This makes no sense,” they wrote in a joint article.
“The UK must remain a beacon for global talent after Brexit - indeed, that is the Government’s stated aim.
“It is not too late to change course. There are indications that a rethink would be welcomed with open arms by the Euratom member states.”
Last week Cummings also said it was possible that leaving the EU “will be an error” and the referendum itself was a “dumb idea”.