Minister says she 'pities' MP who 'repeated Russian Covid conspiracy theories'

23 March 2023 , 17:05

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Andrew Bridgen was urged to 'check his behaviour in a scathing (Image: PA)

A Cabinet member says she pities an MP for repeating "conspiracy theories" originating in Russia and China - and said she "pities" him.

Commons leader Penny Mordaunt lashed out at Andrew Bridgen, who lost the Tory whip after appearing to compare vaccines to the Holocaust.

In a heated exchange in Parliament she said Mr Bridgen should "check his behaviour" after sharing "falsehoods" about Covid.

Ms Mordaunt also advised Mr Bridgen to research some of the claims he has made - with one post he shared on Twitter alleging the US Department of Defence was "responsible for both the virus and the vaccines".

She lashed out after Mr Bridgen - who is now sitting as an independent - asked about the prospect of digital IDs being introduced.

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Ms Mourdaunt said there are "no plans" to do so and rubbished the idea of a "global conspiracy". And in a cutting put-down she said: If he believes them I pity him."

Commons leader Penny Mordaunt called on him to 'check his behaviour' (Parliament.tv)

Mr Bridgen told the Commons: "The Leader of the House will no doubt recall that we both ran on a manifesto commitment in 2010 to scrap Labour's plans for identity cards and we were supported by the electorate on libertarian and privacy grounds.

"Given that there has been no public consultation on this matter since, can we please have a debate on any Government plans for the introduction of digital IDs, which have recently been trumpeted by Tony Blair, who is the heir apparent to the World Economic Forum throne, and interestingly is also the original proponent of those identity card plans which the electorate rejected at the ballot box."

Ms Mordaunt replied: "It is incredibly important that such matters are debated but there are no such plans to introduce the measures that he alludes to and nor, I'm afraid, is the mention of the World Economic Forum or some global conspiracy that sits behind all of this remotely accurate or based in fact.

"And I'd say to the honourable gentleman, having seen some of the things that he has put out this week, he's very diligent, he might like to do some research as to the origins of some of the things that he has been putting on his Twitter account.

"For example, that the US Department for Defence is actually responsible for producing Covid. The provenance of those falsehoods is Russia and China.

"And if the honourable gentleman wants to repeat such conspiracy theories - if he believes them I pity him, if he doesn't believe them then he's repeating them for another matter and I'd ask him to check his behaviour."

Mr Bridgen last week used a debate in the Commons to call for the Government to "immediately stop the mRNA vaccine booster programme and initiate a full public inquiry into not only the vaccine harms but how every agency and institution set up to protect the public interest has failed so abysmally in its duties".

Richard Wheeler