Broadcaster, doctor and vocal NHS campaigner Dr Phil Hammond announced on Tuesday that he would stand as a candidate for the National Health Action Party (NHA) in North East Somerset where Rees-Mogg is currently MP.
Just hours later he tweeted that he had been fired from his Saturday mid-morning show on BBC Radio Bristol.
The physician and health campaigner who has made never made a secret of his politics, thanked his team and listeners.
The health campaigner tweeted that he had informed the head of Radio Bristol before of his intention, expecting to only be off air during the run up to any election that he stood against the Hard Brexit Conservative, adding: “So why they should sack me now is odd. Anyone here can see what my politics are. I thought transparency was good.”
Dr Hammond is also a regular face on TV after presenting five series of Trust Me, I’m a Doctor on BBC2 and also presents Music Group on Radio 4.
The NHA campaigns for renationalisation of privatised parts of the NHS and for improvements to NHS funding.
Dr Hammond, a physician, said on Twitter today (Tues): “Honoured to announce that @NHAparty have endorsed me as their prospective Parliamentary candidate for North East Somerset (sitting MP @Jacob_Rees_Mogg).
He also vowed: “As a believer in progressive alliances, I will stand aside if a stronger candidate declares #votedrphil”
Head of the Hard Brexit supporting shadowy ERG group Jacob Rees-Mogg this weekend threatened to block Theresa May’s Brexit plans in parliament.
Members of the ERG are reported to be plotting an alternative harder Brexit as well as stressing the benefits of a no-deal Brexit.
As a junior doctor Dr Hammond stood in the 1992 general election as a ‘Struck Off and Die Doctor’s Alliance’ candidate against Conservative MP William Waldegrave, the then Secretary of State for Health.
He is Vice President of the Patients Association and has fought for patients’ rights, reporting and investigating issues including the Bristol heart scandal in 1992. He was among investigators who broke the story and gave evidence at the subsequent enquiry.
In 2009, Hammond broke allegations about pathology misdiagnosis in Bristol – subject of an independent inquiry chaired by Jane Mishcon.
Writing for Private Eye, he exposed the shocking treatment of NHS whistleblowers and how large sums of public money are used to silence them.
Here is Dr Phil Hammond defending the NHS on The One Show:
