Ashby MP Andrew Bridgen has issued a response to the interview given to the Sunday Times by his wife Nevena, which was published at the weekend.

Mr Bridgen was accused of letting his current views on Covid vaccination policies affect his family life, with his wife claiming to have been made 'homeless' as a result.

The Independent MP for North West Leicestershire released this statement yesterday evening (Monday).

He said: "I am making this statement with great sadness and reluctance because it has become clear that my personal life is being used as a political tool against my work and everything I stand for. I would like, however, to set the record straight mainly, if not solely, for the sake of my son who will read this one day.

 "Our marriage did indeed, like many other relationships over the last three years, break down irreversibly.

"My wife deeply disapproved of my work on vaccine harms and strongly encouraged me to take a more 'agreeable position' which went against my principles duties and responsibilities as an MP. The lease on the flat was terminated by the landlord.

"My wife refused to live anywhere but Westminster and had never had any interest in not only living in, but even visiting, my constituency and home of North West Leicestershire, however, I have never stopped supporting my son financially.

 "I am sending Nevena a monthly maintenance which has never been interrupted since our separation. On an MP's salary, I am not in a financial position to fund her aspirations for living in central London, and if she decides to do it's entirely her lifestyle choice.

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"If she decides to take up her residency in Leicestershire, I will only be too happy to help find accommodation for her there because it is a much safer and healthier place for my son to grow up in.

 "I would like to add that Nevena is a well-educated and intelligent woman who has always had a career and a job with her own salary, whilst I always provided for our family. I find it unacceptable that Nevena is using our small son to make public attacks against me.

 "I will always support my son, but I will not be drawn down to the level of his mother's accusations and personal attacks.

"No matter what she does or says she is still the mother of my child. There is nothing more I wish to add to this deeply personal matter and I would urge all the readers to exercise their own intuitive judgement of the situation.

"In regards to the allegations that I have been "indoctrinated by an anti-vax cult", I would like to remind people that I am actually double vaccinated by AstraZeneca and I really suffered from the side effects, some of which I still struggle with to this day.

"I would also like to make clear that I am one of the very few MPs with a science degree, specifically covering biochemistry genetics and virology I have been working with world-leading experts from across the globe on this issue and have a lot of MPs supporting my calls for data to be released in relation to the vaccines.

"I first spoke out about the Covid 19 vaccines 18 months ago, now there is an increasing number of MPs, and indeed the population, who are starting to ask similar questions and make similar points.

"I secured the first debate in any democracy on the important subject of Trends in Excess Deaths and was one of the very few MPs who spoke out against the vaccination of children back in December 2022, subsequently thanks to the pressure I put on the government, with other colleagues, the UK remains one of the only countries in the world to not vaccinate under fives.

"I spoke out against the spring booster vaccines in March last year and questioned their efficacy, the government then changed their policy to offer those boosters to only the over-75 category.

"I wish the media had as much interest in the issues of Vaccine Harms and Excess Deaths as they appear to have in what should be my personal and private life.

 "I will be making no further comment."