Andrew Bridgen has lost the Tory whip after taking to Twitter and claiming the Covid vaccine was the “biggest crime against humanity since the holocaust”.
He was accused of crossing a line with his remarks on the rollout of the jab.
Andrew Bridgen has lost the Tory whip after taking to Twitter and claiming the Covid vaccine was the “biggest crime against humanity since the holocaust”.
House of Commons
The North West Leicestershire MP has been vocal in remarks questioning the coronavirus vaccine.
On Wednesday he shared an article on vaccines to Twitter, adding: “As one consultant cardiologist said to me, this is the biggest crime against humanity since the Holocaust.”
Renouncing Bridgen's right to sit as a Tory MP in Parliament, Conservative chief whip Simon Hart said: “Andrew Bridgen has crossed a line, causing great offence in the process.
“As a nation, we should be very proud of what has been achieved through the vaccine programme. The vaccine is the best defence against Covid that we have.
Bridgen was accused of crossing a line.
Jacob King
“Misinformation about the vaccine causes harm and costs lives. I am therefore removing the whip from Andrew Bridgen with immediate effect, pending a formal investigation.”
Tory MP Michael Fabricant also welcomes the decision, adding that his former colleague would have “blood on his hands” if his comments stop people public getting vaccinated.
“If this deters people from being vaccinated and causes deaths as a direct consequence, he’ll have blood on his hands," he said.
"His tweets are wholly irresponsible.”
Earlier, former Cabinet minister Simon Clarke had condemned his colleague's tweet referencing the Holocaust, calling it “disgraceful”.
Bridgen is currently already suspended from the Commons after he was found to have displayed a “very cavalier” attitude to the rules in a series of lobbying breaches.
MPs agreed on Monday to suspend the North West Leicestershire MP for five sitting days from Tuesday.