Andrew Bridgen has been suspended as a Conservative MP after he referred to the Holocaust in a debate about Covid vaccines.
Tory chief whip Simon Hart said: “Andrew Bridgen has crossed a line, causing great offence in the process.
“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, the MP for North West Leicestershire, posted data on Twitter which claimed to list potential adverse effects of the Covid vaccines.
Bridgen has previously made disputed claims about the safety and efficacy of the vaccines.
Fact-checking charity Full Fact has issued a number of corrections to Bridgen’s claims.
Bridgen — who is currently serving a five-day suspension from parliament for breaching lobbying rules — has previously been urged to apologise and correct a number of claims he has made about Covid vaccines.
Last month he claimed during prime minister’s questions that mRNA Covid vaccines were not recommended for pregnant women or those who are breastfeeding.
Full Fact responded by saying Bridgen’s claims about pregnant women and breastfeeding were incorrect, while Labour and the Lib Dems urged him to correct the record and apologise for peddling “dangerous” claims.
In response to Bridgen’s question, Rishi Sunak told MPs he believes “Covid vaccines are indeed safe and effective”, but added: “No vaccine, Covid or otherwise, will be approved unless it meets the UK regulator standards of safety, quality and effectiveness.
“We have an independent body that JCVI (Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation) determines which age groups the vaccine is recommended for use in, and as part of the vaccination programme. And, of course, the ultimate decision will lie with parents.”
