Tory MP condemned for ‘unacceptable’ vaccine passport ‘Nazi’ slur
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Tory MP condemned for ‘unacceptable’ vaccine passport ‘Nazi’ slur

Marcus Fysh, the MP for Yeovil, made the claim that the UK is not 'Nazi Germany' after discussing proposals for vaccine passports in a radio interview

Lee Harpin is the Jewish News's political editor

Marcus Fysh MP
Marcus Fysh MP

The Conservative MP Marcus Fysh has told BBC Radio 5 Live that he will be “voting against vaccine passports” as the UK is not “Nazi Germany”.

Board of Deputies President Marie van der Zyl described the remarks made during an interview on Monday as “completely unacceptable.”

Dame Margaret Hodge, the Labour MP, added:”When will we ever learn?

“Let’s hope 2022 is the year when we stop making flippant comparisons to the Nazis.”

The Prime Minister announced last week that Covid passes – showing either proof of vaccination or a negative test – will be required for entry for some venues including nightclubs.

Parliament is due to vote on the measures on Tuesday.

Asked about the proposals in a radio interview, the MP for Yeovil said : “We live in a free society in this country” where “people have the freedom to do what they want with their own bodies and freedom of association”.

He added the concept of vaccine passports would be “segregating society based on an unacceptable thing”.

The pro-Brexit MP continued by saying “we are not a ‘papers please’ society”.

He then added: “This is not Nazi Germany ….. It’s the thin end of an authoritarian wedge.”

The Board’s president said: “It is completely unacceptable to compare the proposed vaccine passports with Nazi Germany. We urge people, particularly those in positions of authority, to avoid these highly inappropriate comparisons.”

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