‘Statistically improbable’ multiple Tory MPs have valid COVID vaccine exemptions: Holland
Global News
"The likelihood that you have a medical exemption from a (COVID-19) vaccination is one to five in 100,000. The Conservative Caucus is 119 people," Holland said.
It is statistically unlikely multiple Conservative members of Parliament have valid medical reasons not to get vaccinated against COVID-19, Government House Leader Mark Holland said on Monday.
All MPs must be vaccinated against COVID-19 if they want to sit in person in the House of Commons, the Board of Internal Economy ruled last month, unless they have a valid medical exemption that has been shown to House administration.
While there is “some possibility” multiple Conservative members are medically exempt to COVID-19 vaccination, there is also “a possibility that chair could fly,” Holland told reporters, referring to a chair in the room.
“We have to be realistic here.”
Medically exempt unvaccinated MPs can enter the House of Commons with a recent negative COVID-19 test.
The process the House of Commons is using to verify the validity of those medical exemptions remains unclear. Still, Holland said he has doubts about the likelihood multiple Conservative MPs are truly medically exempt from vaccination.
Global News has contacted the Speakers’ office to ask about the standards for proving a medical exemption, as well as what conditions are valid as medical exemptions. A spokesperson for the office promised to provide further details, but hadn’t by the time of publication.
As a result, the number of Conservative MPs claiming to have an exemption also remains unclear.
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