Roundup: Britain could hand NHS extra 145 mln USD a week if it quits EU: UK Justice Secretary

Britain's cash-strapped National Health Service (NHS) could be handed an extra 100 million pounds (145.15 million U.S. dollars) every week, if the June 23 referendum decides the country should quit the EU, leading Brexit campaigner and Justice Secretary Michael Gove claimed Saturday.

He was commenting after winning widespread praise from Leave supporters after a live grilling before a television studio audience Friday night on Sky News.

His 60 minutes in the hot seat came just 24 hours after Remain campaigner, Prime Minister David Cameron had been given a tough ride in the same studio.

In another development Saturday former Labour Party Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown held hands with four former leaders of the main opposition party to back Britain remaining in Europe.

With just two complete weeks to go in Britain's battle for Europe, both leave and remain sides in the big referendum debate will be stepping up their campaigns to win over the millions yet undecided about how to vote on June 23.

Latest opinion polls continue to show both camps running almost neck-and-neck, with 12 percent of the public - accounting for almost 5 million voters - still to be won over.

This week's campaigning ended with Gove's big television showdown.

Commentators and supporters of both sides gave their verdicts Saturday of Gove's performance, winning praise from former London mayor Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage, the leader of UKIP, the pro-leave United Kingdom Independence Party.

But the pro-EU camp was critical of Gove's performance with House of Lord's politician, Lord Falconer, describing Gove's performance as a fact-free zone.

Falconer, Labour's shadow justice secretary told Sky News that Gove had failed to once mention what the British economy would look like with a Brexit victory.

"My feeling is that the British people want the facts and Michael was a fact-free zone tonight," said Falconer.

One of the biggest issues in the debate is the claim by the leave campaign that Britain sends 350 million pounds a week to Brussels as its contribution to the European Union. It became a focal point during Gove's television grilling.

Although Gove agreed much of this comes back, Remain say the figures quoted by Leave are misleading.

Gove defended the figure, saying even though he agreed much was returned, there was no guarantee the rebate scheme would continue. Britain, he contended, was at the mercy of the EU.

He followed up his television appearance Saturday by insisting that leaving the EU would enable the British government to invest an extra 100 million pounds every week in the cash strapped National Health Service (NHS).

Cameron was also critical of Gove saying the Leave campaign was writing cheques it knew would bounce.

Cameron said Saturday: "Nine out of 10 economists say there'll be a profound shock if we leave the EU. That means there will be less money - not more."

All six former leaders of the Labour Party came together Saturday to say that Britain is stronger in Europe, and that the EU stands for the same values that Labour represents.

The six, Neil Kinnock, Margaret Beckett, Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, Harriet Harman and Ed Miliband, united "urging every person who seeks a progressive future for Britain to Vote Remain on June 23."

They argued the EU has delivered significant benefits for working people, including more jobs, protections at work, and lower prices.

"If we remain in Europe, these benefits will continue to pay dividends for British people. If we leave Labour communities would suffer most: from spending cuts, neglect for the needy and a bonfire of workers' rights," they said in their joint plea.

Leading Labour politicians are taking part in a number of weekend rallies across Britain to back the Remain campaign. At a rally in London Saturday, former leader Neil Kinnock urged young people to register to vote in the EU referendum, warning a low turnout could lead to Brexit "by default". Enditem