Andrew Bridgen
Andrew James Bridgen (born 28 October 1964) is a British politician and businessman who has served as Member of Parliament (MP) for North West Leicestershire since 2010. He was a member of the Conservative Party until his expulsion in April 2023, having had the whip suspended in January after criticising the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines and claiming that an Israeli cardiologist told him it constitutes "the biggest crime against humanity since the Holocaust". He joined the Reclaim Party in May 2023 but resigned from the party in December 2023.
Andrew Bridgen | |
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Official portrait, 2020 | |
Member of Parliament for North West Leicestershire | |
Assumed office 6 May 2010 | |
Preceded by | David Taylor |
Majority | 20,400 (37.9%) |
Personal details | |
Born | Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, England | 28 October 1964
Political party | Independent (since 2023) |
Other political affiliations |
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Spouses | |
Children | 3 |
Alma mater | University of Nottingham |
Occupation |
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Website | Website |
In his parliamentary career, he has supported efforts to remove Conservative prime ministers David Cameron, Theresa May, Boris Johnson, and Liz Truss from office. He is a prominent supporter of Brexit. In January 2023, Bridgen was suspended from the House of Commons for five days after the house voted in favour of the recommendations of the Commons Select Committee on Standards which found that he had repeatedly breached rules over paid lobbying and declaring interests and that he also attempted to pressure the commissioner investigating his lobbying breaches.