Tory MP Andrew Bridgen has had the whip removed after he compared the rollout of the Covid vaccine to the Nazi Holocaust.

The party's chief whip, Simon Hart, said the backbencher - who has long shared conspiracy theories about the jag on social media - had "crossed a line" with his tweet this morning.

He added: "As a nation, we should be very proud of what has been achieved through the vaccine programme.

"The vaccine is the best defence against Covid that we have. Misinformation about the vaccine causes harm and costs lives.

"I am therefore removing the Whip from Andrew Bridgen with immediate effect, pending a formal investigation."

The comments were raised during Prime Minister's Questions with former health secretary Matt Hancock criticising the remarks.

The MP - who sits as an independent after having the Tory whip removed for appearing on ITV's I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here - asked if Mr Sunak agreed with him "that the disgusting anti-semitic, anti-vax conspiracy theories that have been promulgated online this morning are not only deeply offensive but anti-scientific and have no place in this house or in our wider society."

Mr Sunak replied: "Can I join with my right honourable friend in completely condemning those kinds of comments that we saw this morning in the strongest possible terms.

"Obviously, it is utterly unacceptable to make linkages and use language like that. And I'm determined that the scourge of anti semitism is eradicated, it has absolutely no place in our society.

"I know that the previous few years have been challenging for the Jewish community and I never want them to experience anything like that. ever again."

Earlier this week, MPs voted to suspend Mr Bridgen from the Commons for five days for breaking rules on paid lobbying and declaring interests.

MPs said he was found to have displayed a “very cavalier” attitude to the rules and should have told ministers and officials about his relationship with Cheshire-based firm Mere Plantations as he made multiple representations.

Mr Bridgen also called into question the integrity of standards commissioner Kathryn Stone on the basis of “wholly unsubstantiated and false allegations”, the standards committee found.

He appealed against the recommendation to suspend him, but Parliament’s Independent Expert Panel dismissed it “on all grounds”.