Tan Dhesi has called out Catherine Blaiklock over her tweet (Picture: Chris Andrews/Reuters)

An MP has accused the Brexit Party’s founder of ‘stoking racism and anti-immigrant propaganda’ with a tweet about a non-existent hospital.

Catherine Blaiklock claimed ‘major operations’ are sold in Pakistan to be performed by ‘the NHS in London’ at ‘Slough General’, which is not a real hospital.

In what looks like a disclaimer, she added: ‘Somebody told me this is happening. This is a text I received.’

The financial trader and hotelier was forced to resign from the party in March over social media comments in which she said Islam was a ‘threat’ and ‘incompatible with liberal democracy’.


Labour Party MP for Slough Tan Dhesi called her tweet about Slough General ‘fake news’ and said she was ‘misleading the British public by creating division within harmonious communities’.

Someone told me this is happening . This is a text I received. ‘Major operations are sold in Pakistan and performed by the NHS in London. Patients arrive at Heathrow and are collected and taken to Slough General. Everyone is on the take abusing the system.’ — Catherine Blaiklock BP (@blaiklockBP) July 30, 2019

The Brexit Party founder says she was given the information in a text message (Picture: Getty Images)

He told Metro.co.uk: ‘It’s so bad on so many different levels.



‘By starting off with “oh I’ve just received a text from somebody,” that’s literally just a tactic, it’s a ploy to try to say whatever they want to say in terms of their diabolical and vile views, get those out, but then try to be immune to any sort of criticism or any personal responsibility.’

Dhesi said it was an example of the ‘post-truth environment’ promoted by Donald Trump.

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He added: ‘That’s becoming more and more a part of our political landscape, our day-to-day life.

‘Messages are just circulated around, by the time somebody actually points out the truth, by then, thousands of people are already convinced.

‘There needs to be an investigation into whether she actually received that text message and who she received it from.’

Labour MP Tan Dhesi warned of a growing ‘post-truth’ environment (Picture: @TanDhesi/Twitter)

How low can #BrexitParty & its founder go in stoking racism & anti-immigrant propaganda! There is no “Slough General”! #FakeNews Delete tweet @blaiklockBP, apologise & stop misleading the British public by creating division within harmonious communities. https://t.co/WuMk0QRGz7 — Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi MP (@TanDhesi) July 31, 2019

Hi @blaiklockBP please remove this tweet. It is factually incorrect. Slough is not in London and Slough General does not exist.

Thank you — SBC Public Health (@SloughPH) July 31, 2019

I know your dad! Saw him briefly earlier — Dr Matthew Bull (@mattdbull) July 31, 2019

He suggested Pakistan was deliberately chosen as an example to stir up hatred against the Muslim community.

People were quick to point out that the hospital is not real, that Slough is not in London and that Pakistan has nothing to do with the European Union.

A Brexit Party spokesman told Metro.co.uk: ‘You will find we got rid of her because of this [sort of behaviour].’

Blaiklock has been contacted for comment.

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