London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Jun 20, 2025

Andrew Bridgen suspended as Tory MP over Covid vaccine comments

Andrew Bridgen suspended as Tory MP over Covid vaccine comments

Andrew Bridgen has been suspended as a Conservative MP for spreading misinformation about Covid vaccination.

It comes after the North West Leicestershire MP posted a tweet that compared vaccines to the Holocaust.

Tory chief whip Simon Hart said the comments had "crossed a line" and caused great offence.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also condemned the remarks, calling the comparison "utterly unacceptable".

Mr Hart said Mr Bridgen would lose the party whip - meaning he will sit as an independent - while a formal investigation takes place.

"As a nation we should be very proud of what has been achieved through the vaccine programme," the chief whip added.

"The vaccine is the best defence against Covid that we have. Misinformation about the vaccine causes harm and costs lives."

The BBC has contacted Mr Bridgen for a comment.

The MP is currently serving a five-day suspension from Parliament for breaching parliamentary rules on registering financial interests.

Mr Bridgen was previously critical of policies like lockdown and vaccine passports but he praised the development of Covid vaccines, and tweeted proudly when he received his doses.

However, last autumn he began to make increasingly baseless claims including that vaccines were killing many people and that the damage was being covered up.

At first, he began highlighting some real, but rare, instances of genuine vaccine injury and misinterpreting real data to suggest these cases were more common than the research suggests.

In recent weeks, this rhetoric has increased.

Posting a link to an article on vaccines earlier, he said: "As one consultant cardiologist said to me, this is the biggest crime against humanity since the Holocaust."

Extensive independent research shows that Covid vaccines are extremely effective at preventing deaths.

Serious side effects involving Covid vaccines, including approximately 60 deaths in England and Wales according to the Office for National Statistics, are rare, given the tens of millions of doses administered.

Karen Pollock, chief executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, called Mr Bridgen's comments "highly irresponsible and wholly inappropriate".

Lord Mann, an independent peer and former Labour MP who advises the government on antisemitism, said Mr Bridgen should be barred from standing for the Tories at the next election.

"He cannot claim that he didn't realise the level of offence that his remarks cause," he added.

Conservative chairman Nadhim Zahawi, a former vaccines minister, said he was "proud" of the UK's response to the pandemic, and he was "appalled" by Mr Bridgen's remarks.

"Any comparison made to the Holocaust is completely inappropriate, belittling one of the greatest horrors ever committed by humanity," he added.

A spokesman for Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said that suspending the whip had been "the right thing to do" and accused Mr Bridgen of "whipping up anti-vax conspiracy theories".

He said it was "regrettable" that the prime minister had not acted sooner to "slap down what he has been saying".

Asked whether he thought the MP's remarks were antisemitic, Sir Keir's spokesman said: "A one word reference to the Holocaust would not meet the definition of antisemitism, but it is unacceptable", adding that he would "defer to others who may be better placed to judge this".


Watch: The comments were also condemned by former Health Secretary Matt Hancock


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
UK Home Secretary Apologizes Over Child Grooming Failures
Trump Organization Launches 5G Mobile Network and Golden Handset
Towcester Hosts 2025 English Greyhound Derby Amid Industry Scrutiny
Gary Oldman and David Beckham Knighted in King's Birthday Honours
Over 30,000 Lightning Strikes Recorded Across UK During Overnight Storms
Princess of Wales Returns to Public Duties at Trooping the Colour
Red Arrows Use Sustainable Fuel in Historic Trooping the Colour Flypast
Former Welsh First Minister Addresses Unionist Concerns Over Irish Language
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
France Bars Israeli Arms Companies from Paris Defense Expo
King Charles Leads Tribute to Air India Crash Victims at Trooping the Colour
Jack Pitchford Embarks on 200-Mile Walk to Support Stem Cell Charity
Surrey Hikers Take on Challenge of Climbing 11 Peaks in a Single Day
UK Deploys RAF Jets to Middle East Amid Israel-Iran Tensions
Two Skydivers Die in 'Tragic Accident' at Devon Airfield
Sainsbury's and Morrisons Accused of Displaying Prohibited Tobacco Ads
UK Launches National Inquiry into Grooming Gangs
Families Seek Closure After Air India Crash
Gold Emerges as Global Safe Haven Amid Uncertainty
Trump Reports $57 Million Earnings from Crypto Venture
Trump's Military Parade Sparks Concerns Over Authoritarianism
Nationwide 'No Kings' Protests Challenge Trump's Leadership
UK Deploys Jets to Middle East Amid Rising Tensions
Trump's Anti-War Stance Tested Amid Israel-Iran Conflict
Germany Holds First Veterans Celebration Since WWII
U.S. Health Secretary Dismisses CDC Vaccine Advisory Committee
Minnesota Lawmaker Melissa Hortman and Husband Killed in Targeted Attack; Senator John Hoffman and Wife Injured
Exiled Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi Urges Overthrow of Khamenei Regime
×