Tory Lee Anderson donates to doctors' strike fund and makes grovelling apology

06 November 2023 , 11:58

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The MP offered his "sincerest apologies ... for any distress, upset caused" (Image: AFP via Getty Images)

Tory loudmouth Lee Anderson has donated hundreds of pounds to the doctors’ strike fund and apologised to a medic over a post on Twitter.

The Conservative vice chairman, who says he is against medics walking out as part of industrial action over pay, has handed the British Medical Association £1,870 to “compensate the upset I may have caused” with a tweet he sent last month. He also issued a grovelling apology to Dr Tom Dolphin - who welcomed Mr Anderson’s donation.

Mr Anderson, who is paid £100,000 a year for hosting a GB News show, said on social media: “On October 6 2023 I shared a link on X to a MailOnline article entitled ‘Militant union leader at the heart of doctors strikes is a Labour activist who boasted of charging the NHS for a strike cover shift’. I accept that my words were misleading as the subject in question, Dr Tom Dolphin, was not on strike on the date of the shift in question but was simply covering a shift as a consultant for junior doctors who were on strike on August 11, 2023.

“I would like to offer my sincerest apologies to Dr Dolphin for any distress, upset caused. I will also like to add that I understand that Dr Dolphin actually donated his pay for the covered shift which I believe was £1,870 to the BMA strike fund and, whilst I do not agree with the strikes, I want to go on the record to say that I think it is a very unselfish act on the part of Dr Dolphin to put his money into something he strongly believes in. I will make the same contribution to compensate the upset I may have caused Dr Dolphin. Please repost.”

Dr Dolphin welcomed the apology and money for the fund, to help medics taking industrial action. “A very gracious apology, thank you Lee Anderson,” he posted on Twitter/X. “Thanks also for the donation. I hope it inspires others to donate to the strike fund as well.”

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The BMA shared Anderson’s tweet and posted: “Doctors have been repeatedly misrepresented by the Government during this industrial dispute so it is good that these false claims about Dr Thomas Dolphin have now been corrected. We are grateful to Mr Anderson for his contribution to our strike fund.”

Ben Glaze