Senior Tory MP Sir Desmond Swayne has refused to apologise for telling vaccine sceptics to “persist” with their campaign against coronavirus lockdown restrictions, arguing that he was unaware of their position on jabs.
Cabinet member Michael Gove told the former minister to retract his remarks and apologise on Thursday, condemning his Conservative colleague as “completely out of order”.
The Conservative Party has declined to suspend the lockdown-sceptic over his remarks, or for a separate interview with anti-vaxxer Del Bigtree, and it is understood he will be asked to attend meetings with scientific advisers.
Sky is wrong. Aside from my question to the PM this afternoon, an examination of my blogs will reveal that I am a most enthusiastic vaccinator
But despite the two Cabinet ministers condemning Sir Desmond, Prime Minister Boris Johnson claimed not to be aware of the remarks. The Conservative Party has declined to suspend the lockdown-sceptic MP but it is understood he will be asked to attend meetings with scientific advisers. Sir Desmond told the Save Our Rights UK group, which argues wrongly that vaccines are “being rushed through safety testing” and has posted discussions online with conspiracy theorist David Icke, that some Covid-19 figures have been “manipulated” and called on campaigners to “persist” in their campaign. He also gave an interview to anti-vaxxer Del Bigtree, in which he claimed the UK had become a “police state”.
Tory MP slammed after telling anti-vaxxers NHS figures are ‘manipulated’
Sir Desmond Swayne has served as Conservative MP for New Forest West since 1997 (via Getty)
A Conservative MP has faced condemnation from government ministers after he told an anti-vaccination campaign group that NHS statistics are being “manipulated” and that we are living in a “police state”.
Sir Desmond Swayne told Save Our Rights UK, which organised the anti-lockdown rally in Trafalgar Square last September, to continue their fight against lockdown restrictions because NHS figures were being overstated.
In an interview with the group, first obtained by Sky News, Sir Desmond said: “It seems to be a manageable risk, particularly as figures have been manipulated… We’re told there is a deathly, deadly pandemic proceeding at the moment.
COVID-19: Tory MP who said NHS figures were being manipulated refuses to apologise originalfm.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from originalfm.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The latest protestors of lockdowns who were told to break up during a large rave show the London Police that they are part of the problem.
London – Police attempt to breakup a large rave violating the lockdown rules! Watch as the police are pushed away! pic.twitter.com/UkIYVbHIYg Shawnasaurus Rex (@ShawnG927) December 29, 2020
Mid December protestors took to the streets in London in opposition to the never ending lockdowns.
Across the Capital, additional officers were deployed to encourage communities to comply with the rules and to swiftly clamp down on those wilfully and dangerously ignoring them.
Three people charged after a protest in #Westminster and organiser faces a £10,000 fine. Cmdr Murray said protesters’ actions during an ongoing health emergency were reckless and we’ll enforce the law without hesitation in these circumstances.