NEWS STORY : Lee Anderson Apologises for Misleading Remarks on BMA Strike

STORY

Lee Anderson, the Deputy Chair of the Conservative Party, has apologised and paid compensation over comments he made on Twitter on 6 October 2023. He had alleged that Dr Tom Dolphin had boasted of being paid a large sum of money for a strike cover shift. In a statement, Anderson said:

“On October 6 2023 I shared a link on X to a MailOnline article entitled ‘Militant union leader at the heart of doctors strikes is a Labour activist who boasted of charging the NHS for a strike cover shift’. I accept that my words were misleading as the subject in question, Dr Tom Dolphin, was not on strike on the date of the shift in question but was simply covering a shift as a consultant for junior doctors who were on strike on August 11 2023.

I would like to offer my sincerest apologies to Dr Dolphin for any distress, upset caused. I will also like to add that I understand that Dr Dolphin actually donated his pay for the covered shift which I believe was £1,870 to the BMA strike fund and, whilst I do not agree with the strikes, I want to go on the record to say that I think it is a very unselfish act on the part of Dr Dolphin to put his money into something he strongly believes in. I will make the same contribution to compensate the upset I may have caused Dr Dolphin. Please repost.”

Responding to Anderson’s statement, Dolphin stated:

“A very gracious apology, thank you Lee Anderson. Thanks also for the donation. I hope it inspires others to donate to the strike fund as well.”

The BMA issued a statement noting:

“Doctors have been repeatedly misrepresented by the Government during this industrial dispute so it is good that these false claims about Dr Thomas Dolphin have now been corrected.”