Hancock refuses to apologise for labelling MP’s Covid Holocaust remarks ‘antisemitic’
Ex-health secretary Matt Hancock was threatened with legal action by Andrew Bridgen after he described the suspended MP's comparison between Covid vaccines and the Holocaust as 'antisemitic'
Lee Harpin is the Jewish News's political editor
Matt Hancock is refusing to back down over his claim that suspended Tory MP Andrew Bridgen “spouted dangerous antisemitic, anti-vax, conspiracy theories” when he compared Covid vaccine safety with the Nazi Holocaust.
Last Friday Bridgen had given the former health secretary three days to take down a tweet and “publicly apologise” for making the claim on Twitter, or face legal action.
The North West Leicestershire MP, is now sitting as an independent, after the Conservative whip was removed pending an investigation into his tweet last week in which he shared an article casting doubts over Covid safety published by a far-right news site.
Alongside the article Bridgen wrote:”‘As one consultant cardiologist said to me this is the biggest crime against humanity since the Holocaust.”
But Jewish News understands that Hancock has not received any legal correspondence after tweeting last Wednesday “The disgusting and dangerous antisemitic, anti-vax, anti-scientific conspiracy theories spouted by a sitting MP this morning are unacceptable and have absolutely no place in our society.”
Sources close to Hancock also confirmed he had no intention of retracting his claim either.
Last Friday Bridgen wrote that Hancock “has still not removed his defamatory tweet falsely alleging that I am antisemitic.”
He then added:” I will allow Matt three days to apologise publicly for calling me an antisemite and racist or he will be contacted by my legal team.”
A source close to Hancock confirmed:”There is no way Matt is backing down on this matter.
“He believes Andrew Bridgen’s remarks are indefensible.”
They added:”“Matt hasn’t heard from Bridgen.
“What Matt said was obviously not libellous, because it’s true and Matt’s honestly held belief. We hope Bridgen backs down and keeps his offensive view to himself in future.”
At last week’s Prime Minister’s Questions, Hancock had highlighted what he said were the “disgusting, anti-Semitic, anti-vax conspiracy theories”.
Without referring directly Bridgen, the former Cabinet minister said the comments were “not only deeply offensive but anti-scientific and have no place in this House or in our wider society.”
The disgusting and dangerous anti-semitic, anti-vax, anti-scientific conspiracy theories spouted by a sitting MP this morning are unacceptable and have absolutely no place in our society
My question to @RishiSunak in PMQs???? pic.twitter.com/6ospPGfi9a
— Matt Hancock (@MattHancock) January 11, 2023
Bridgen’s remarks on Covid safety and the comparison with the Holocaust were widely condemned by communal leaders.
Olivia Marks-Woldman, chief executive of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, told MailOnline: “We find it disturbing particularly as we approach Holocaust Memorial Day that some people think it’s appropriate to invoke the imagery of the Holocaust to score political points.
“The murder of six million people is not a subject for flippant analogies or political exploitation. There are other ways in which people can get their messages across, without using genocide as shock value. We owe it to victims of the Holocaust – and survivors – not to minimise their pain and suffering.”
Bridgen last claimed:”My tweet of the 11th of January was in no way antisemitic. Indeed, it alluded to the Holocaust being the most heinous crime against humanity in living memory.”
.@matthancock has still not removed his defamatory tweet falsely alleging that I am antisemitic. I will allow Matt three days to apologise publicy for calling me an antisemite and racist or he will be contacted by my legal team.
— Andrew Bridgen (@ABridgen) January 13, 2023
Bridgen has previously sparked anger over comments made about an alleged “Jewish lobby” during a parliamentary debate.
He used the term in 2014 during a Palestine debate telling MPs “the political system of the world’s superpower and our great ally the United States is very susceptible to well-funded powerful lobbying groups and the power of the Jewish lobby in America.”
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