Outrage as Theresa May uses taxpayers money to promote controversial speech

The Liberal Democrats have slammed the Conservative Government for using tens of thousands of pounds of taxpayers’ money to promote Theresa May’s controversial speech last week where she blamed MPs for her failure to pass her EU withdrawal deal.    Liberal Democrat Brexit spokesperson Tom Brake said the speech itself was “outrageous” but using taxpayers’ money to promote it was an “insult” and “really takes the biscuit.”   According to Facebook’s ad library, which publishes a record how much is spent on advertising, the UK Government spent between £12k and £30k in one day promoting the Prime Minister’s speech. Since October last year, the UK Government has spent a total of £191,000 on Facebook advertising.   However, the speech was roundly criticised across Westminster. According to reports, the Prime Minister’s own Chief Whip described the statement in Downing Street as "appalling."   The Liberal Democrats highlighted that the cost of adverts, bankrolled by the taxpayer, to promote the PM’s controversial speech was the equivalent of a nurse’s salary for a whole year.   Liberal Democrat Brexit spokesperson Tom Brake said:    “This Prime Minister has lost the plot. At a time when she should be reaching across Parliament to build a consensus, her outrageous statement last week just pointed the finger at MPs and stoked further divisions.   “To now find out Theresa May used tens of thousands of pounds of public money to promote her deeply misjudged comments is an insult to taxpayers. It really takes the biscuit.   “The Tories cannot be trusted with taxpayers’ money, never mind Brexit negotiations. It is time the people took back the power and had the final say on Brexit, with the option to stay in the EU.”