Former Conservative MP who defected to the anti-revivalist Renaissance Party refuses by-election

Andrew Bridgen (right) with actor Lewis Lawrence Fox at a press conference in Westminster Photo: Stephan Russo/PA

Andrew Bridgen faces with accusations of hypocrisy for refusing to call a by-election for a new mandate as the first MP for the Anti-Renaissance Renaissance Party.

The MP crossed the House of Commons to sit on the Opposition Bench after being expelled by the Conservatives over claims that Covid vaccines were «the biggest crime against humanity since the Holocaust.»

Mr Bridgen has said in the past that Conservative defectors should face a new vote in their constituencies to defend before their mandate. But the MP refused to call a by-election in his seat after announcing on Wednesday that he was joining Reclaim.

The Liberal Democrats said he would be guilty of «incredible hypocrisy» if he refused to resign in order to trigger a vote.

At a press conference in Westminster, he was asked if he was ready to hold a by-election in his constituency. from North West Leicestershire, he said he didn't want to subject the locals to two ballots in a row.

“I think we will have a general election very soon,” he said. “We have to have one more or one less within 12 months. I think it will be sooner. I don't think this government can last too long. I think they'll want to make border changes and I think we'll have elections this fall.

«I wouldn't want my voters to go through [forced] — I think two general choice in less than 12 months…they don’t like it very much. I note that in the last elections I received 63 percent of the vote. This is not a marginal place.”

Mr Bridgen was stripped of the whip by the Conservatives and forced to sit as an independent in January after Jewish groups demanded action on his «bad faith» comment referring to the Holocaust.

Last month, the Tories confirmed that he was officially kicked out. left the party on April 12 on the recommendation of the disciplinary commission. From that date, he was given 28 days to appeal, but on Wednesday he confirmed that he had decided not to go down that path.

Culture Wars

He now joins Reclaim, an anti-quarantine party founded in 2020 by former Lewis actor Lawrence Fox to fight the culture wars. The Liberal Democrats urged him to «do the right thing» and resign to force a by-election.

Deputy Party Leader Daisy Cooper said: «Andrew Bridgen and his misinformation are completely misplaced.» in the House of Commons, and now his move to a failed fringe political party cements that.

"If Bridgen wants to become an MP for that party, he should do the right thing, resign and call for a by-election.& #34;

Mr Bridgen previously said it would be «decent» to return to the people for a new mandate after a change of party.

Answers a question about Anne Soubrey's decision to leave the Conservative party because of how the government handled Brexit in 2019, he told LBC radio: “In good conscience to your electorate, if you move the party and your actions clearly violate the manifesto you stood by. …then you should hold a by-election.”

Ms Cooper added: “If he refuses to step down, it would be nothing short of breathtaking hypocrisy.”