TORY ANTI-SEMITISM
UK's Conservatives ditch lawmaker for comparing COVID vaccines to HolocaustWHERE IS THE BRIT ZIONIST OUTCRY
Andrew Bridgen British politician (born 1964)
Andrew Bridgen British politician (born 1964)
Wed, January 11, 2023
LONDON (Reuters) -British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's governing Conservative Party expelled a lawmaker from its parliamentary bloc on Wednesday for comparing COVID-19 vaccines to the Holocaust.
"Andrew Bridgen has crossed a line, causing great offence in the process," said Simon Hart, the chief whip, or head of party discipline, for the Conservatives.
"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."
Bridgen, a longstanding critic of COVID-19 vaccines, had earlier on Wednesday tweeted a link to an article on vaccine side effects, adding the comment: "As one consultant cardiologist said to me this is the biggest crime against humanity since the Holocaust."
Speaking in parliament, Sunak later told lawmakers: "It is utterly unacceptable to make linkages and use language like that, and I'm determined that the scourge of anti-Semitism is eradicated. It has absolutely no place in our society."
Asked about the charge of anti-Semitism, Bridgen later apologised.
"In relation to my tweet this morning, the use of the Holocaust as a reference was insensitive, for which I apologise. I have deleted the offending tweet," he said.
"However, this must not be used to distract from valid concerns related to the vaccine. The article I tweeted presents the work of a Jewish Israeli researcher."
Sunak's party considers the fast roll-out of vaccines in 2021 to be one of its major achievements in power, and says the vaccine saved countless lives during the pandemic and allowed the country to end lockdowns quickly.
Bridgen is currently suspended from parliament's lower chamber the House of Commons for five days after being found to have breached rules on paid lobbying and on declaring financial interests.
(Reporting by Elizabeth Piper and Farouq Suleiman; Writing by William James; Editing by Peter Graff and Alex Richardson)
LONDON (Reuters) -British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's governing Conservative Party expelled a lawmaker from its parliamentary bloc on Wednesday for comparing COVID-19 vaccines to the Holocaust.
"Andrew Bridgen has crossed a line, causing great offence in the process," said Simon Hart, the chief whip, or head of party discipline, for the Conservatives.
"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."
Bridgen, a longstanding critic of COVID-19 vaccines, had earlier on Wednesday tweeted a link to an article on vaccine side effects, adding the comment: "As one consultant cardiologist said to me this is the biggest crime against humanity since the Holocaust."
Speaking in parliament, Sunak later told lawmakers: "It is utterly unacceptable to make linkages and use language like that, and I'm determined that the scourge of anti-Semitism is eradicated. It has absolutely no place in our society."
Asked about the charge of anti-Semitism, Bridgen later apologised.
"In relation to my tweet this morning, the use of the Holocaust as a reference was insensitive, for which I apologise. I have deleted the offending tweet," he said.
"However, this must not be used to distract from valid concerns related to the vaccine. The article I tweeted presents the work of a Jewish Israeli researcher."
Sunak's party considers the fast roll-out of vaccines in 2021 to be one of its major achievements in power, and says the vaccine saved countless lives during the pandemic and allowed the country to end lockdowns quickly.
Bridgen is currently suspended from parliament's lower chamber the House of Commons for five days after being found to have breached rules on paid lobbying and on declaring financial interests.
(Reporting by Elizabeth Piper and Farouq Suleiman; Writing by William James; Editing by Peter Graff and Alex Richardson)
Conservative MP stripped of party whip after he linked Covid vaccine to Holocaust
Andrew Bridgen British politician
Kate Devlin
Wed, January 11, 2023
Conservative MP Andrew Bridgen has been stripped of the party whip after he appeared to link the rollout of Covid vaccinations to the Holocaust.
Prime minister Rishi Sunak denounced the comments as “completely unacceptable”.
The party’s chief whip Simon Hart said Mr Bridgen had “crossed a line” and had “caused great offence in the process”.
Mr Bridgen claimed that Covid vaccines were “causing serious harms” and said he had been told the programme was “the biggest crime against humanity since the holocaust”.
Mr Hart said: “The vaccine is the best defence against Covid that we have. 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.”
On Wednesday Mr Bridgen tweeted an article on vaccines, adding: “As one consultant cardiologist said to me, this is the biggest crime against humanity since the Holocaust.”
Earlier this week the North West Leicestershire MP was suspended from the Commons for five days. MPs backed the measure after he was found to have displayed a "very cavalier" attitude to the rules in a series of lobbying breaches.
Will Moy, chief executive at anti-misinformation site Full Fact, said “Andrew Bridgen has put lives at risk for months by being enabled to peddle health misinformation in Parliament.
“It is right that the Conservative Party took action after Andrew Bridgen’s shameful comments online earlier today. But it is unacceptable that an MP has been allowed to repeatedly make dangerous, false claims about vaccines for months without consequence.
“Globally, we have seen what happens when we empower conspiracy theorists to spread dangerous health misinformation, which costs lives.
“Are the Conservative Party seriously going to consider endorsing an MP who behaves like this at the next election?”
Andrew Bridgen British politician
Kate Devlin
Wed, January 11, 2023
Conservative MP Andrew Bridgen has been stripped of the party whip after he appeared to link the rollout of Covid vaccinations to the Holocaust.
Prime minister Rishi Sunak denounced the comments as “completely unacceptable”.
The party’s chief whip Simon Hart said Mr Bridgen had “crossed a line” and had “caused great offence in the process”.
Mr Bridgen claimed that Covid vaccines were “causing serious harms” and said he had been told the programme was “the biggest crime against humanity since the holocaust”.
Mr Hart said: “The vaccine is the best defence against Covid that we have. 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.”
On Wednesday Mr Bridgen tweeted an article on vaccines, adding: “As one consultant cardiologist said to me, this is the biggest crime against humanity since the Holocaust.”
Earlier this week the North West Leicestershire MP was suspended from the Commons for five days. MPs backed the measure after he was found to have displayed a "very cavalier" attitude to the rules in a series of lobbying breaches.
Will Moy, chief executive at anti-misinformation site Full Fact, said “Andrew Bridgen has put lives at risk for months by being enabled to peddle health misinformation in Parliament.
“It is right that the Conservative Party took action after Andrew Bridgen’s shameful comments online earlier today. But it is unacceptable that an MP has been allowed to repeatedly make dangerous, false claims about vaccines for months without consequence.
“Globally, we have seen what happens when we empower conspiracy theorists to spread dangerous health misinformation, which costs lives.
“Are the Conservative Party seriously going to consider endorsing an MP who behaves like this at the next election?”
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