Andrew Bridgen — Former Conservative MP, Anti-Vaccine Activist
Andrew Bridgen — Former Conservative MP, Anti-Vaccine Activist
Semantic Summary
Andrew Bridgen (born 28 October 1964) is a British former Conservative MP who represented North West Leicestershire from 2010 to 2024. Expelled from the Conservative Party in April 2023 after comparing COVID-19 vaccines to the Holocaust, he joined the Reclaim Party (led by Laurence Fox) as its first MP before resigning in December 2023 over a "difference in the direction of the party." He now sits with Restore Britain (since 2026), the party founded by Rupert Lowe. Bridgen's trajectory — from Tory backbench rebel who helped bring down multiple prime ministers (Cameron, May, Johnson, Truss) to anti-vax conspiracy theorist appearing on far-right podcasts like Liam Tuffs' — exemplifies the pipeline from establishment conservatism to the conspiratorial far-right. The High Court found he "lied under oath" in a family business dispute (April 2022) and he was suspended from the Commons for five days for paid lobbying breaches. He lost his seat and deposit at the 2024 general election, finishing with 3.2% of the vote. He represents the migration of parliamentary legitimacy into the far-right ecosystem.
Overview
Full Name: Andrew James Bridgen Born: 28 October 1964 (age 61), Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire Education: University of Nottingham (Biological Sciences) Current Party: Restore Britain (since 2026) Former Parties: Conservative (1981–2023), Reclaim (May–December 2023), Independent (2023–2026) Former Role: MP for North West Leicestershire (2010–2024) Key Identity: Anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist, serial backbench rebel, bridge between Tory mainstream and far-right podcast circuit
Andrew Bridgen is a former Conservative MP whose political career descended from mainstream backbench Euroscepticism into COVID-19 conspiracy theories, Holocaust comparisons, and appearances on far-right podcasts. Once a Brexit "Spartan" who voted against Theresa May's deal three times, he has since been expelled from the Conservative Party, briefly joined Laurence Fox's Reclaim Party, and now aligns with Rupert Lowe's Restore Britain.
Background
Bridgen was born in Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, and attended Pingle School in Swadlincote before studying biological sciences at the University of Nottingham. He began training as an officer in the Royal Marines but did not complete the course. He then joined his family's agricultural business, AB Produce, becoming a director.
His early political career was conventional: he was elected as Conservative MP for North West Leicestershire in 2010 with 44.6% of the vote, and steadily increased his majority over three subsequent elections (2015, 2017, 2019), peaking at 62.8% and a 20,400 majority in 2019.
Timeline of Key Events
2010–2019: Mainstream Conservative Period
- 2010: Elected MP for North West Leicestershire
- June 2011: Arrested in London over sexual assault allegations made by a former UKIP employee; the allegations were retracted a week later and police took no further action
- 2013: Organised a letter signed by 81 Conservative MPs demanding a parliamentary vote on military intervention in Syria, forcing a government U-turn
- 2013: Called for David Cameron to be replaced as Conservative leader
- 2014: Criticised BBC for pro-EU bias. Supported Leave in the 2016 referendum
- 2017: One of the 28 "Brexit Spartans" who voted against Theresa May's Brexit deal three times
- 2018: Wrote a letter of no confidence in Theresa May, calling her Brexit promises "a pretence and a charade"
- 2018: Supported Boris Johnson's comments on the wearing of burkas
- 2019: Endorsed Boris Johnson for Conservative leadership
2020–2023: Descent into Conspiracy
- December 2022: The British Heart Foundation criticised Bridgen for promoting claims of a conspiracy to cover up evidence of mRNA vaccines increasing heart inflammation
- January 2023: Had the Conservative whip suspended after tweeting that COVID-19 vaccines constituted "the biggest crime against humanity since the Holocaust." Rishi Sunak called the comparison "utterly unacceptable"
- January 2023: Suspended from the House of Commons for five days after the Standards Committee found he repeatedly breached rules over paid lobbying and attempted to pressure the commissioner investigating him
- March 2023: Posted tweets promoting a conspiracy theory that COVID-19 originated at Fort Detrick
- April 2023: Expelled from the Conservative Party
- May 2023: Joined the Reclaim Party (led by Laurence Fox), becoming the party's first and only MP
- December 2023: Resigned from the Reclaim Party citing "a difference in the direction of the party"
2024–2026: Post-Parliamentary Far-Right Alignment
- January 2024: Attracted criticism for planning to host an MEP from the German far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD) in parliament
- February 2024: Referenced capital punishment as an appropriate response to "crimes against humanity" regarding the vaccine rollout
- Early 2024: Wife Nevena Pavlović announced separation, claiming Bridgen had been "captured by an anti-vax cult" and neglected parental responsibilities
- July 2024: Stood as an independent in North West Leicestershire at the general election, finishing second last with 3.2% of the vote and losing his £500 deposit
- 2026: Joined Restore Britain, the party founded by former Reform UK MP Rupert Lowe
Ideology & Positions
- Anti-Vaccine Conspiracy: Centred his post-2022 political identity on opposition to mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, claiming they constitute a "crime against humanity since the Holocaust"
- Hard Euroscepticism: Long-term critic of the EU; one of 28 "Brexit Spartans"; supported a No-Deal Brexit
- Anti-Establishment Rebellion: Supported efforts to remove four Conservative prime ministers (Cameron, May, Johnson, Truss) from office
- Far-Right Alignment: Appeared on far-right podcasts including Liam Tuffs'; planned to host AfD MEP in parliament; joined Restore Britain (2026)
- COVID-19 Origin Conspiracies: Promoted the Fort Detrick lab-leak conspiracy theory
Legal & Standards Issues
| Issue | Detail | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Paid lobbying breaches | Repeatedly breached rules on paid lobbying and declaring interests; attempted to pressure the standards commissioner | Suspended from Commons for 5 days (Jan 2023) |
| Family business dispute | High Court found he "lied under oath," was "an unreliable and combative witness who tried to conceal his own misconduct" | Lost case; evicted from property; ordered to pay £800,000 in legal costs (Aug 2022) |
| HS2 compensation | Apologised to Parliament for failing to declare his home was being bought by the HS2 scheme during an HS2 debate | Breach of MPs' code of conduct |
| Sexual assault allegation (2011) | Arrested, allegation retracted, no further action | Cleared |
Affiliations
| Figure / Entity | Connection |
|---|---|
| Laurence Fox | Joined Fox's Reclaim Party (May–Dec 2023), becoming its first MP |
| Rupert Lowe | Joined Lowe's Restore Britain (2026) |
| Liam Tuffs | Appeared on Tuffs' far-right podcast |
| AfD (Germany) | Planned to host AfD MEP in UK Parliament (Jan 2024) |
| Conservatives (1981–2023) | Expelled after Holocaust comparison |
Online Presence
- X/Twitter: @ABridgen — active, used as primary platform for anti-vax content and political statements
- Website: andrewbridgen.com
Tags
- afd
- andrew-bridgen
- anti-vax
- brexit
- businessman
- conservative
- conspiracy-theorist
- far-right
- laurence-fox
- liam-tuffs
- midlands
- person
- politician
- reclaim-party
- restore-britain
- rupert-lowe
Sources
- Wikipedia — Andrew Bridgen
- The Guardian — "Former Tory MP Andrew Bridgen expelled permanently from party" (April 2023)
- BBC News — "Andrew Bridgen: MP expelled by Tories after Covid vaccine comments" (April 2023)
- BBC News — "Andrew Bridgen suspended from Commons for five days" (January 2023)
- Leicestershire Live — High Court business dispute coverage
right-wing-tier-list.md— Tier 1 classification