Controversial MP Andrew Bridgen wants to "clear his name" after allegedly being accused of anti-Semitism in a "malicious" social media post by former health secretary Matt Hancock, the High Court heard today (Friday).

The Independent member for North West Leicestershire is bringing a libel case against Mr Hancock over a January 2023 tweet that followed Mr Bridgen posting a comment about Covid-19 vaccines.

A judge was told that on Wednesday, January 11 last year, Mr Bridgen shared a link to an article "concerning data about deaths and other adverse reactions linked to Covid vaccines", and stated: "As one consultant cardiologist said to me, this is the biggest crime against humanity since the Holocaust."

Hours later, Mr Hancock wrote on Twitter – now known as X – that "disgusting and dangerous anti-Semitic, anti-vax, anti-scientific conspiracy theories spouted by a sitting MP this morning are unacceptable and have absolutely no place in our society".

Mr Bridgen said he believed that "every person reading the tweet knew it was about me", that it was "seriously defamatory and untrue" and intended to cause "grievous harm" to his reputation, the court was told.

At a preliminary hearing in London, lawyers for Mr Hancock argued the claim against him should be thrown out as it did not have "a realistic prospect of success" and due to the "lack of a properly articulated case".

The West Suffolk MP's legal team said it was "hopeless" to argue that a reader of his tweet – which echoed comments made earlier in the day in Parliament – would have assumed it referred to Mr Bridgen.

Ashby de la Zouch MP Andrew Bridgen. Photo: BBC

Christopher Newman, representing Mr Bridgen, said in written arguments that the MP was "extremely unhappy about what happened and the effect it has had on him, which is why he wishes to clear his name".

He said that, as a health minister who promoted the vaccine rollout, Mr Hancock's actions were "activated by malice" and "he was willing to break the law because he has a motive to discredit Mr Bridgen".

The barrister continued: "That is because Mr Bridgen's work for his constituents is starting to reveal evidence which could potentially have professional consequences for Mr Hancock."

Mr Hancock's tweet allegedly meant "Mr Bridgen is anti-Semitic" or he advanced "anti-Semitic theories", which were "obviously extraordinarily damaging imputations", the court was told.

Mr Newman said "no honest person could hold the view that Mr Bridgen is anti-Semitic when there is no evidence at all that he is".

The barrister added: "Mr Bridgen was citing a cardiologist, who, by the use of the word 'since', was making the point that the Holocaust was more serious – the very opposite of Holocaust minimisation."

The court was told Mr Bridgen had the Tory whip removed the day of his tweet and "no-one was confused" about who Mr Hancock was referring to in his own post.

"He was almost certainly referring to the Conservative MP who had just had the whip withdrawn for 'misinformation about the vaccine', ie Mr Bridgen," Mr Newman said.

The barrister told the hearing the loss of the whip was a "massive event" that would have been known by "just about everybody" following a Conservative Party press release.

Aidan Eardley KC, representing Mr Hancock, said in written arguments that "no reasonable reader" would conclude his tweet "uniquely" referred to Mr Bridgen.

He said Mr Bridgen's "defective" arguments "fail to set out any reasonable basis for contending" that Mr Hancock's tweet referred to him.

Photo: YouTube

"Even if, generously, some degree of knowledge about [Mr Bridgen's] political activities and interests were ascribed to the reader, it would still be unreasonable for such a reader to jump to the conclusion that, of all possible MPs, [Mr Hancock's] tweet was about [Mr Bridgen]," the barrister said.

He added there were some 650 MPs and "all of them are free to express views about vaccines". Mr Eardley said: "[Mr Bridgen's] case, that a reasonable reader, aware of his track-record as a vaccine-sceptic, would, on that basis alone, understand [Mr Hancock's] tweet as reference to [Mr Bridgen], is hopeless."

Mr Bridgen was ultimately expelled from the Conservative Party in April 2022 over his social media post. He joined actor Laurence Fox's Reclaim Party but later quit the group over a "difference in direction".

Mr Hancock, who served as health secretary during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, lost the Tory whip over his appearance on I'm A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! In 2022. The hearing before Mrs Justice Steyn continues.