11 March 2023 , 18:47
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Anti-vaxx MP Andrew Bridgen accepted nearly £8,000 worth of support from an 'anti-woke' group founded by Laurence Fox - including help writing his speeches.
Reclaim the Media, an offshoot of Fox’s Reclaim political party, also paid for Mr Bridgen’s legal threats against former Health Secretary Matt Hancock.
Mr Hancock accused Mr Bridgen of “antisemitic, anti-vax, anti-scientific conspiracy theories” after his former Tory colleague appeared to compare Covid vaccinations to the holocaust.
Mr Bridgen sent a letter before action, threatening to pursue Mr Hancock for £100,000 in damages.
Newly released documents reveal Mr Bridgen declared four donations between January and March, worth a combined £7,902.
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As well as “speechwriting support” and “legal consultancy”, the donations are listed as covering “the cost of meetings, lunches, dinners and counselling.”
The cash also covered 'dinners' and 'counselling' (Phil Harris)Mr Bridgen declared he had help with speechwriting between 17 and 31 January this year.
It’s not known which of his speeches were written by Mr Fox’s organisation.
But he addressed a ‘vaccine harms’ rally on 22 January, in which he claimed: “We were told 100% effective. That was a lie. We are told no onward transmission. That was a lie.
“We were told “safe”. Ladies and gentlemen, I have been sent email after email, letter after letter, and message after message. They all say the same thing. That it was a lie.”
He added: “I am fed up with the threats. I am fed up with the smears. I am fed up with the lies. The truth will prevail.”
In January, PR adviser Jen Roberts tweeted: "Nice to have a meeting with Andrew Bridgen today."
She tagged in the post anti-vaxx former celebrities ex-UB40 singer Matt Hoy and Richard Fairbrass of Right Said Fred, but Mr Hoy later tweeted it was "news to him" that he had met the MP in Parliament.