GB News Host Lee Anderson Apologises To NHS Doctor Over Strike Tweet
Lee Anderson MP during the Conservative Party Conference at Manchester Central Convention Complex, Manchester on Monday 2nd October 2023. (Photo by Pat Scaasi/MI News/NurPhoto via AP)
GB News host Lee Anderson publicly apologised to Dr. Tom Dolphin Monday over a “misleading” tweet that alleged that the doctor “boasted” he’d charged the National Health Service an “extortionate sum” for covering colleague’s shifts during junior doctors’ strike action.
Anderson, who serves as the Conservative Party deputy chairman, clarified that Dr. Dolphin, who works in London as an consultant anaesthetist, in fact, covered a shift for striking colleagues without himself being on strike, donating his pay to the British Medical Association, which was misconstrued in a now-deleted tweet from Anderson.
In Anderson’s statement, he recounted sharing an article from Mail Online on X. The article attacked Dr. Dolphin’s political views and branded him a “militant union leader” and “Labour activist,” claiming the strike was not just about doctors wages but politically motivated.
Anderson said: “I accept that my words were misleading.” Despite the fact that the Tory MP does not support the strikes, he praised Dr. Dolphin’s decision to donate his shift pay as an “unselfish act” and declared his intention to “compensate the upset” by matching the donation.
Dr. Dolphin graciously accepted the apology and commended Anderson for his “very gracious apology” and contribution to the strike fund, hoping it encourages others to support the cause.
The British Medical Association also welcomed the correction, amidst what it says are continued misrepresentations by the government in the ongoing industrial dispute.
