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Andrew Bridgen expelled from Conservative Party after Covid vaccine remarks

Andrew Bridgen has been expelled from the Conservative Party after he made controversial comments about coronavirus vaccines. Mr Bridgen was stripped of the Tory whip and forced to sit as an independent MP in January after he tweeted claims that Covid vaccines were the “biggest crime against humanity since the Holocaust”.A Conservative Party spokesman confirmed this afternoon that Mr Bridgen has now been formally kicked out of the party. The spokesman said: “Mr Bridgen was expelled from the Conservative Party on 12th April following the recommendation of a disciplinary panel. He has 28 days from this date to appeal.”Mr Bridgen said in a statement: “My expulsion from the Conservative Party under false pretences only confirms the culture of corruption, collusion and cover-ups which plagues our political system.”Mr Bridgen said he “will continue to serve my constituents as I was elected to do and intend to stand again at the next election”.https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/04/26/rishi-sunak-news-latest-snp-sudan-labour-keir-starmer-pmqs/

Les Wilson ● 1242d21 Comments

Amazed it's taken this long.

Paul Scullion ● 1242d

He really is a revolting little man, and bonkers to boot.

Vanessa Smith ● 1242d

The rights to free speech is part of the fabric of our society, and expressive language can add emphasis to a point of view.Some words however, and the events they trigger cause great offence when used injudiciously.Such carelessness has cost two politicians their careers this week. Diane Abbott, a loose cannon at best has gone, but Andrew Bridgen should have known better.

Denis I. Fox ● 1242d

He's right about the culture of corruption, just for the wrong reasons.

Susan Kelly ● 1242d

Michael Brown ● 1240d

Two days for MCB News to catch up on this hot topic !

Richard Greenhough ● 1240d

Interview starts at 24mins 20secs in...

Michael Brown ● 1237d

if the political parties started expelling everyone who said something stupid or untrue, their ranks would be decimated in no time

Davey Harris ● 1227d

Ah so. First Bridgen gives an interview to another conspiracy nutter, Neil Oliver, on the nutters' TV station of choice.Then he throws his hand in with the nutters' party of choice, The Reclaim Party, whose Nutter-in-Chief is Leonard Fox:https://www.itv.com/news/central/2023-05-10/andrew-bridgen-mp-formally-joins-laurence-foxs-reclaim-partyMeanwhile Mr Bridgen [has] said he “will continue to serve my constituents as I was elected to do and intend to stand again at the next election”.Before he declares his candidacy and lodges his deposit, Mr. Bridgen might like to consider the following:1. In the 2021 London mayoral election, the Nigel Farage-endorsed Fox finished in sixth place with 47,634 votes (1.9 per cent), losing his £10,000 election deposit;2. In the 2021 Scottish Parliament election, the party stood one candidate, Leo Kearse, in Glasgow Pollok for the 2021 Scottish Parliament election; he received 114 votes (0.3 per cent), thereby losing his deposit;3. Martin Daubney, deputy leader of the party from 2021 until August 2022, was the party's candidate in the 2021 North Shropshire by-election. He finished seventh with 375 votes (0.98 per cent), losing his deposit.Bridgen might have been better advised to join the Monster Raving Loony Party, except that they're merely raving loonys, not complete bloody nutters...

Richard Cathcart ● 1227d

Just because he has opinions that differ from yours doesn’t make him a nutter. His opinions might be misguided but he’s entitled to them. He’s also entitled to put himself forward as a candidate for election. Considering some of the claptrap that passes for policy from the mainstream parties he won’t look out of place.

Simon Hayes ● 1226d

He's not a nutter for holding differing opinions to mine. I mean, I hold differing opinions to half the MP's in Partliament, maybe more, but I would never characterise them as such.No, Bridgen's a nutter because, well, he's a nutter. P.S. When I called Fox a nutter, I was actually being restrained, kind even.

Richard Cathcart ● 1226d

Define 'nutter'? We probably all have a feel for what we think the word means, but it's likely to be a quite personal interpretation of the meaning of the word.And yes, someone holding a different opinion to yourself does not (IMHO) make a person a nutter.

Andrew Jones ● 1226d

Oh do lighten up folks.  We all know what nutter means but just in case not here’s a definition:NOUN British slang1. sometimes humorousa person who behaves in a foolish manner2. a person considered irrational or unpredictable, esp one given to reckless or violent behaviourAnd of course it’s personal.

Alastair Banton ● 1226d

I would argue that Mr Fox is an attention seeking contrarian rather than a nutter.

Paul Scullion ● 1226d

What Bridgen and his ilk are - is bloody dangerous. The sheer number of us who have been vaccinated proves that he's talking sphericals, like all the other anti-vax brigade. To throw your lot in with Laurence Fox smacks of desperation, they will sink without trace come the general election.

Vanessa Smith ● 1226d

If you think I'm out-of-order in calling Bridgen a nutter, you should hear what his family calls him!(From his Wiki page)Bridgen has been involved in a long legal battle against his own family's potato and vegetable business, AB Produce, stating the firm treated him unfairly and forced him out, while the business was suing him over claims he has failed to pay rent on a £1.5 million property owned by the firm. In April 2022, High Court Judge Brian Rawlings ruled against Bridgen, stating that he "lied under oath and behaved in an abusive, arrogant and aggressive manner", was "an unreliable and combative witness who tried to conceal his own misconduct", and "gave evasive and argumentative answers and tangential speeches that avoided answering the questions". After losing the case, Bridgen stated that "in actuality I won the case and my brother will be compelled by the Court in due course to repay considerable sums of money back to the businesses", adding "if courts always got everything correct the first time there would be no need for appeal mechanisms". In August 2022, Bridgen was evicted from the property, and ordered to pay £800,000 in legal costs.(More good stuff here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Bridgen )P.S. Maybe Uber-Nutter Fox might be a bit wary too, for in 2014, Bridgen wrote a Letter of No Confidence in David Cameron, followed by a further Letter of No Confidence in Theresa May in  2018. He backed Boris Johnson for the party leadership in 2019, before issuing another Letter of No Confidence in him in 2022.

Richard Cathcart ● 1226d

Your stereotype nutter would be Alan "Howling Laud" Hope, Leader of The Monster Raving Looney Party.Promising the electorate cheap beer but politically erudite (possibly).Unlike Steve Bray who impersonates The Village Idiot.

Denis I. Fox ● 1226d

I suppose the obvious question here is - how one earth do the local Conservative Associations pick these people? Let's be honest - he's not on his own is he? What about Nadine Dorries? A more vacuous individual it would be hard to find, who hasn't been nigh nor by the HoC since launching her media career, and failing to read an autocue! What really sticks in the throat is that these people try to hold the rest of us to far higher standards in everyday life than they practice. As for calling Bridgen a 'nutter' I've just been told that that's a bit of an insult to the rest of the nutters!

Vanessa Smith ● 1226d

VS: " To throw your lot in with Laurence Fox smacks of desperation, they will sink without trace come the general election."RC: Can they really sink any lower? For that to be the case it would imply that, like David Frost, they had previously somehow risen without trace.

Richard Cathcart ● 1226d

Excess Deaths in England & Wales continue to rise at an alarmingly high rate:- W/E 21st April 2023:+22% Excess DeathsOr:+2,540 (excess deaths in one week)Government silentMainstream Media silentAndrew Bridgen vocalYou can donate to help towards Andrew Bridgen's legal costs for his libel case with Matt Hancock at site below:https://democracythree.org/en-gb/en-gb/the_day_democracy_died_andrew_bridgen

Michael Brown ● 1226d

The number of deaths from all causes excluding accidents, since Covid has increased substantially, alarmingly, and yet no one, apart from Andrew Bridgen is speaking about it in Westminster. It is magnificient that people like Andrew Bridgen are prepared to stick their neck out and do so.  The Blob in Westminster have swept it under the carpet and cancelled him.  How very new world order.  Take a look at the blog by Neil Oliver.

V Killick ● 1224d