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A Tory MP has bizarrely claimed that astrology can solve the appalling NHS crisis.

David Tredinnick , who as a Capricorn is meant to be down to earth, said consulting the stars would “take huge pressure off doctors”.

He also suggested people who dismiss astrology tend to be “racially prejudiced”.

A baffled political opponent blasted the claims as “utterly ridiculous”. Michael Mullaney, a Lib Dem who is standing against the Tory at the election, said: “We need an MP who will speak up on the importance of employment, decent wages, pensions, improving the education system, transport issues and saving green spaces.

“What we don’t need is an MP who is making our area a laughing stock with his utterly ridiculous obsession with astrology.”

Mr Tredinnick – who is on the influential Commons Health Select Committee – made his remarks to the Astrological Journal. The MP for Bosworth, Leics, said: “ Astrology is a useful diagnostic tool enabling us to see strengths and weaknesses via the birth chart. I do foresee that one day astrology will have a role to play in health care.”

His support for homeopathy led to respected scientist Lord Winston saying in December: “I think his views are lunatic.”

He added: “Astrology offers self-understanding to people. People who oppose what I say are usually bullies who have never studied astrology.

“They never look at it. They are absolutely dismissive. Astrology may not be capable of passing double-blind tests but it is based on thousands of years of observation.

“Astrology was until modern times part of the tradition of medicine. I think it is a great pity that so many scientists today are dismissive of right-side brain energy, such as intuition.

“People such as Professor Brian Cox, who called astrology ‘rubbish’ have simply not studied the subject.”

Mr Tredinnick, who is also chairman of the All-Party Group for Integrated Healthcare, appeared to suggest that people who opposed astrology were “racist”.

He said: “The opposition (to astrology) is based on what I call the SIP formula - superstition, ignorance, and prejudice.

“It tends to be based on superstition, with scientists reacting emotionally, which is always a great irony.

“They are also ignorant, because they never study the subject and just say that it is all to do with what appears in the newspapers, which it is not.

“They are deeply prejudiced, and racially prejudiced, which is troubling.”