Bassetlaw MP Brendan Clarke-Smith criticised on Twitter over Covid ‘scaremongerers’ tweet

Brendan Clarke-Smith has been called out for posting a tweet branded by users as ‘disgusting’ and ‘unconscionable’.

Quoting an announcement that no Covid restrictions would be put in place before the new year, Mr Clarke-Smith tweeted: “This is great news and will be welcomed by everybody wanting to get on with their lives and to be able to enjoy the New Year.

“Not such great news for scaremongerers, Covid socialists and mask sellers.

“Now let’s hope there’s no need for any more restrictions again afterwards.”

The tweet has received just over 1,600 replies from people, with several people questioning the use of ‘scaremongerers’ as the UK surpasses 170,000 deaths as a result of COVID-19.

One woman replied to the MP’s tweet, asking if it was an ‘appropriate’ way to represent all the Bassetlaw constituents.

She wrote: “Wow. Do you have no vulnerable people, no NHS workers, no long Covid sufferers, no worried parents, teachers or care workers in your constituency at all?

“Do you think this is an appropriate way for an MP to address people? And how much do you actually know about any of this?”

Mr Clarke-Smith was one of the Tories who voted against Plan B restrictions before Christmas, which has seen the reintroduction of working from home, NHS Covid passes for nightclubs, and masks have been legally mandated in ‘most public indoor venues’, such as theatres and cinemas.

A Bassetlaw woman said: “Brendan, the vulnerable people of Retford do not support you on this.

"I’m horrified, but sadly not shocked, to see this sort of rubbish from our local representative”.

Mr Clarke-Smith replied: “What do you expect, a zero-Covid policy like China and rolling lockdowns indefinitely? I’m horrified at people who can’t understand the wider social, economic and health implications.”

Another man replied: “Trying to discredit your government's science advisers as scaremongers during a pandemic is not very statesman like, or responsible.”

In his Worksop Guardian column this week, Mr Clarke-Smith has explained his views on further restrictions.

He said the Prime Minister and cabinet took “absolutely the right decision” not to introduce further measures and the British people must be “trusted” to use their “common sense.”

He added: There are those who will say ‘lock us down’ at the drop of a hat. To those people I say, locking down isn’t ‘cost free’.

"It has a hugely detrimental effect on businesses, schools and people’s mental health. It should therefore be the last resort, not the first port of call.

“Covid won’t simply disappear, in the same sense that flu or the common cold won’t either, so it’s about learning to live with the virus.”