Tim Barry

In our fast paced world, the furore engulfing MP Andrew Bridgen appears to have dissipated. However, he has effectively been expelled from the Conservative party. His expulsion was triggered by a tweet posted January 11 which said “As one consultant cardiologist said to me this is the biggest crime against humanity since the holocaust”. For sure, momentum leading up to this tweet had picked up significant pace back in December. It was then that Andrew Bridgen raised his head above the parapet to give a speech on vaccine harms in the House of Commons. The essence of his speech was to propose the COVID vaccine rollout be halted, allowing for reliable, transparent analysis as to the current spike in excess deaths and significant cases of vaccine harm be completed. The fact that Andrew Bridgen was a largely lone voice is a revealing indictment as to the current state of affairs.

Raising a legitimate concern about an experimental (how else would you describe it?) medication that has been rolled out on a never-before-seen scale, is more than reasonable. Sadly, the only comeback we hear, repeated ad-nauseam, is that the COVID shots are “safe and effective”. Clearly, the establishment has been on alert for this particular MP and was looking readily for a reason to take him down. The tweet of January 11 presented the ideal opportunity to do so.

Fellow conservative MPs were quick to jump on. Sajid Javid heaved in with “Right to take action over @ABridgen’s tweet. Morally repugnant to compare the life-saving vaccine rollout to the Holocaust. And it’s dangerously wrong to imply the many good people who played their part in it are part of some kind of conspiracy.” Firstly, Javid is directing his ire to the wrong person – it was a consultant cardiologist who made the claim, not Andrew Bridgen. Secondly, the tweet was not relativising the holocaust (as Javid insinuates) by comparing the vaccine rollout to it, but stating (in the consultant cardiologist’s view) that it was the biggest crime since the holocaust.

Of all people, Matt Hancock had the gall to gleefully join the pile on. Hancock tweeted “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”. Here tweets a man who is either deluded or so entrenched in his ersatz morality bunker that he believes he can act with complete impunity. Going by the replies to his tweet, the vast majority saw right through Hancock. His ad-hominem rant confirms his place on the wrong side of history.

The curious case is this, since when was it a crime to seek legitimate scrutiny in the heart of the UK’s perceived democracy? What was in it for Andrew Bridgen to raise himself into the firing line of a complicit media and largely silent Commons? Anyone can tow the party line, but to step out, to break ranks, to go against the grain, points to a depth of character I wish we’d see more of from our MP’s. If he’s wrong, prove it. However, this would also necessitate fully answering the thousands (could be many more) ‘vaccine injured’ who have been raising the same issues as Andrew Bridgen.

Dr Josh Guetzkow (Senior lecturer at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem) the author of the article that Andrew Bridgen linked to (here) is a Jew and had this to say “there is nothing at all anti-Semitic about his (Andrew Bridgen’s) statement”. But, what would he know? Dr Guetzkow goes on to say “The hollow accusations against him only distract from genuine examples of anti-Semitism and ultimately hinder attempts to draw attention to them, much like the boy who cried wolf.”

In a statement on the removal of Andrew Bridgen, the Tory Chief Whip, Simon Hart said “…As a nation we should be very proud of what has been achieved through the vaccine programme. The vaccine is the best defense against Covid that we have. Misinformation about the vaccine causes harm and costs lives. I am therefore removing the whip from Andrew Bridgen with immediate effect”.

Since when is calling something into question “misinformation”? A vital ingredient of our ‘democracy’ is informed, robust debate on important issues that directly impact the people of this country. Certainly, Simon Hart epitomizes the problem we face through the majority of MPs towing the party line by reciting – “safe and effective”. This phrase, a kind of lobotomized trope, is fast becoming the only response by those, like Simon Hart, still clinging to the well worn COVIDian narrative. Whilst Andrew Bridgen’s tweet was a catalyst for what seems like the end of his political career, I suspect that on this issue he will be vindicated. One of the ironies is that Dr. Guetzkow also pointed out that Holocaust survivor Vera Sharav has already drawn parallels between the extreme and discriminatory public health measures during the pandemic and the Holocaust. She is of course not alone in this. Rod Dreher outlines similar parallels in his excellent book “Live not by Lies”. Learning from the recent past is critical to how well we will be able to face the near future.

To ask questions is an essential component in seeking the truth. On the other hand, suppressing the answering of questions is the highway to tyranny. Which would we rather have, MPs that try and stand for truth and justice or MPs that meekly follow the narrative, putting party before the people? On the subject of truth, my friend Helen has written an excellent piece on her Substack, you can find it here.

As I write this, the current UK Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak has been deflecting the heat from his no-seatbelt sideshow onto Nadhim Zahawi, the Tory Party Chair, in reference to some “tax issues”. Only the other week, Zahawi tweeted (as part of the Andrew Bridgen smackdown) “I am appalled by the recent highly offensive comments on vaccinations. Our vaccination programme saved millions of lives worldwide and continues to protect the most vulnerable. As former vaccines minister, I am proud of our world leading response to the Pandemic.”

A week is a long time in politics. As things stand, it’s highly doubtful that history will be affirming for many of our politicians. However, there is every chance that for Andrew Bridgen, things could turn out very differently.

UPDATE 30/1/23: Nadhim Zahawi has paid a penalty (been fined) for tax avoidance, has broken ministerial code and has been ‘fired’ from his role as Conservative Party chairman.

However, he remains a Conservative MP…

The news that the State took it upon itself to place ‘Baby W’ in the guardianship of his paediatric heart surgeon and cardiologist in order that MRNA infused blood could be used during surgery, whilst shocking, should not come as a surprise. After all, this is Ardern’s New Zealand we are talking about here. As ever, the mainstream press presented this as a ‘win’ against the “anti-vaxxers”, but of course failed to point out that there were plenty of un-jabbed people who came forward to offer their blood to enable the surgery to go ahead.

As with most things COVID, this was not a health decision, but a political one.

I feel for the parents of this baby, who against so much vitriol and opposition, were seeking to do what they believed was right for their child.

Informed consent? That flew out the window in December 2020.