COVID-19 denialism in the United Kingdom

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Denialism of COVID-19 in the UK was a range of beliefs, statements, and behaviors from anti-vax and pseudoloegal activist who rejected, minimized, or challenged the scientific consensus on the existence, severity, or public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pandemic shenanigans[edit]

Hyde Park protest[edit]

On May 16, 2020, shortly after the lifting of the first lockdown, Piers Corbyn and Jeff Wyatt were arrested at an anti-lockdown/anti-5G protest in London's Hyde Park.[1] They were subsequently charged with offences under the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) Regulations 2020.[2] The two would unrepentantly go on to lead many such protests across the UK.[3][4][5]

Great Reopening[edit]

An pseudolegal anti-lockdown scheme known as the Great Reopening, which spread on social media in late 2020, encouraged small business owners and managers across the UK to open their premises to customers in contravention of COVID-19 lockdown regulation.[6] The group behind the scheme initially based their defiance upon a misinterpretation of Clause 61 of the Magna Carta, and provided a pseudolegal notice to be displayed proclaiming the individual's "right to enter into lawful dissent" and declaring the business "under the jurisdiction of common law".[7] Although, upon consultation with an actual lawyer, this advice was later retracted, many went ahead with it regardless.

The campaign was supposed to culminate in a, well, great reopening on January 30th, 2021, but only 70 business actually signed up and those either never opened or were quickly shuttered by the authorities.[8]

Vaccine centre protest[edit]

In July 2021, non-practicing and seemingly confused solicitor Anna de Buisseret made the unsubstantiated claim to bemused-looking police officers outside an NHS vaccine centre that, "We are a common law jurisdiction, [the vaccines] are causing harm. It’s against the law to cause harm and it’s also a duty to prevent harm from happening." And quickly escalated to claiming, "For the public record these [vaccines] are not legal, that’s precisely why we are here. They constitute crimes against humanity, they are bioweapons on the evidence that this is a eugenics programme, it’s genocide."[9]

Maintaining the spotlight, de Buisseret responded to the expansion of the vaccine roll out to over-12s with a video endorsed by celebrity contrarians Gillian "awful poo lady" McKeith and Matt le Tissier. Waving an entirely unrelated high court ruling in the face of another bemused police officer outside of another NHS vaccination centre while demanding he think of the children:

You’re not upholding the law. Here is the law, you can read it for yourself. This is Bell v Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust. It specifically says that children under 18 cannot give their informed consent to experimental medical treatment and you need to go to the court to get a declaration. It says it here, come and read it![10][11]

Demanding to see the manager, she went on to state:

You’re still injecting children. That’s against the law! It’s illegal, it’s unlawful, it’s immoral and it’s unethical – and you will be held responsible. You will be held accountable for the death and the injury you cause. You don’t care, do you? You’re just going to kill children. You get £12.50 per jab, that’s all you care about. You’re murdering other people’s children and you’re defending them. Shame on you. This is murder.[10][11]

Following the overturning of the Bell v Tavistock judgment by the Court of Appeal, de Buisseret maintained:

The requirement for full informed consent for the child and parent is that a fully-qualified clinician take them through the informed consent process to tell them the material risks to that individual child. Every individual child must be individually risk assessed well before they have the injection. Otherwise they’re not being able to give their informed consent.[10]

Westminster meeting[edit]

In September 2021, an anti-vax brain trust, including Dolores Cahill, de Buisseret, bird-brained former obstetrician turned ivermectin pusher Tess Lawrie, clottish funeral director John O'Looney, suspended GP turned holistic practitioner Sam White, and Pfizer pharmacologist turned antivax activist Michael Yeadon, met with a “senior” Tory MP, said to have been head of the 1922 Committee, Sir Graham Brady, to call for the COVID-19 vaccine rollout to be paused “as a matter of urgency” and for those vaccines to “at no point” be given to children. Brady, while not confirming the meeting had taken place, clarified that if it had, it would not amount to an endorsement of their views.[12][13]

World Council for Health declaration[edit]

Also in September 2021 Lawrie and Canadian dentist Jennifer Hibberd formed the misleadingly named World Council for Health (WCH) as "an umbrella group for purveyors of COVID misinformation."[14] The council's steering committee included de Buisseret, homeopathic dentist Zac Cox, and other such experts. This group has declared COVID vaccines “dangerous and ineffective,” released a bullshit guide to “spike protein detox,” falsely claimed COVID vaccination leads to heart issues, and called on followers to deliver an anti-vax petition to local elected officials.[14]

ICC request[edit]

In early December 2021, Corbyn, O'Looney, Sexton, Yeadon, and others, filed a spurious request for the International Criminal Court to investigate and prosecute Boris Johnson, Bill Gates, Klaus Schwab and others, for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide of the British peoples.[15] Curiously, the ICC seem not to have taken up the request to investigate.

National Emergency declared[edit]

Banned ad for a fake investigation.

On December 20, 2021, anti-vax solicitors Lois Bayliss and Philip Hyland joined Sexton and White in filing a criminal complaint over the government vaccine rollout with Hammersmith and Fulham Police at Hammersmith police station. The complainants were issued Metropolitan Police crime reference number (CRN) 6029679/21, which they used to promote the false claim that an massive criminal investigation was underway.[16]

The CRN was immediately included on a press release circulated on Telegram and adverts, including the headlines “national emergency” and "the truth is out" alongside the Met Police logo, published in local papers the Rotherham Advertiser (print) and The Argus (online), calling for members of the public to support the non-existent investigation by submitting evidence of vaccine harm to Bayliss’s firm Broad Yorkshire Law.[17] South Yorkshire Police whose logo was also featured in the Rotherham Advertiser version had the advert retracted by the paper and referred it to the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) for investigation.[18][16] The Advertising Standards Agency (ASA), acting on six complaints, later banned the ads with the ruling:

We considered that the implication in the ads that Covid-19 vaccines were unsafe and that the vaccine program was illegal had the effect of encouraging vaccine hesitancy. Further, because the ads gave the impression of being placed, approved or endorsed by public bodies, we considered readers were likely to pay greater attention and place greater trust in the ads’ message. Because of that, we considered the ads were unduly alarming and caused fear of Covid-19 vaccines without justifiable reason. — ASA[19]

Sovereign citizens started citing the CRN as justification for their storming COVID vaccination sites across the UK. Hyland distanced himself, Baylis and White from this criminal activity, whilst seemingly throwing Sexton under the bus with the statement:

That’s not something I’ve been doing, or Lois or Sam, but I can’t speak for Mark. — Philip Hyland[16]

Let the UK Live[edit]

Corbyn and Wyatt celebrated Christmas 2021 by co-leading a "Let the UK Live" anti-vax "freedom rally" in his home town of Milton Keynes, which, despite his local knowledge, got confused, mistook a test-and-trace centre for a vaccine centre,[20] and ended up disrupting Ashley Banjo & Diversity's performance of the Jack and the Beanstalk pantomime at the Milton Keynes Theatre.[21] Fellow Milton Keynes-based COVID-19 denialist O'Looney was unable to attend, as he was in the ICU having discovered first-hand the reality of the pandemic.[22]

National Emergency over[edit]

On February 3rd, 2022, Bayliss signed a letter on her company letterhead threating legal action against those requiring face-masks, carrying out routine lateral flow tests and facilitating Covid-vaccination programmes for schoolchildren, using the CRN as evidence of an active police investigation, which was circulated on Telegram.[23] Over the next few weeks, according to the SRA, Bayliss sent the letter to up to 450 people at 247 schools and GP surgeries, and encouraged up to 48 others to send similar letters.[24][25]

The campaign ended on February 22, 2022, when the Met issued a formal rejection of the complaint, stating:

Following an assessment of all the available evidence, it is clear that no criminal offences are apparent. The Metropolitan Police will not be launching a criminal investigation and no further action will be taken. — Met Police Spokesperson[26]

Better Way Conference[edit]

In May 2022, Lawrie organised and opened the misnamed and misguided Better Way Conference alongside fearmongering antivax profiteer Del Bigtree. Her opening remarks set the tone by stating that Bath, where it was held, was both an “ancient place of healing and discovery” and the place where astronomer William Herschel had discovered Uranus: a planet “considered the great awakener, the force that shakes you out of your slumber.” The list of invited speakers included anti-vax lawyers RFK Jr., Bayliss, Hyland, Reiner Fuellmich, and immunologists turned conspiracist Dolores Cahill and Robert W. Malone. The conference had to be relocated at short notice after Bath and North East Somerset Council, who owned the original venue, realised that the event was not going to be the promotion of “an evidence-based approach to medical decision making, sovereignty, empowerment and reimagining the future of healthcare,” it had billed itself as.[27]

Agents of chaos[edit]

Lois Bayliss and Philip Hyland[edit]

“” Depends what you mean by investigation. There’s certainly evidence been submitted which police are reviewing.
—Philip Hyland[16]

Lois Bayliss (1975–) of Broad Yorkshire Law[28][29] and Philip Hyland (1965–) of PJH Law[30][31] are British antivax solicitors who instigated misleading claims that a large scale criminal investigation was being carried out into the UK rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine by the Metropolitan Police.[32][16] Both faced professional investigation for their pandemic shenanigans.

Call the Balyiss[edit]

On April 4, 2023, the seemingly less impressed SRA referred Bayliss to the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) for prosecution,[33] with a ruling that read:

The tribunal has certified that there is a case to answer in respect of allegations which are or include that:
  1. Between 4 and 21 February 2022, in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, Ms Bayliss sent letters to up to 450 individuals at up to 247 schools and GP surgeries, and encouraged up to 48 others to send similar letters, threatening that the recipients would face civil and/or criminal liability if they:
    i. required face-coverings and carried out routine lateral flow tests for schoolchildren
    ii. facilitated the school-age children Covid-vaccination programme.
The threats in Allegation 1 were misleading.
  2. When making the threats in Allegation 1, Ms Bayliss improperly sought to rely upon her standing and role as a solicitor.
The allegations are subject to a hearing before the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal and are as yet unproven. — SRA[34]

A case management hearing for Bayliss, held on January 25, 2024, dismissed an application for strike out and agreed that the four-day hearing, originally listed to start on 12 February, would be relisted for later in the year. At this time Bayliss had raised over £30,000 of a £200,000 target on GoFundMe to fight the prosecution.[35]

Hyland clearance[edit]

On August 10, 2023, Philip Hyland was similarly referred to the SDT for prosecution over allegations that he improperly threatened legal action against a GP surgery when seeking a Covid-19 exemption for a client to travel to Brazil and not self-isolate on return, and against the chair of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) demanding, on behalf of three clients, withdrawal of the COVID-19 vaccines, suspending COVID-19 testing and a live televised Christmas broadcast announcing this decision.[36][37] The SRA's Benjamin Tankel said:

This was never a serious legal claim, it was just as ideological campaign. There is no merit to the claim.[38]

A two-day preliminary hearing in May 2024 refused Hyland’s application for a stay. At the full hearing, held in July 2024, Tankel elaborated:

[Hyland] was really…seeking to cloak what was basically a political view in some legal terminology and the solicitors’ profession in order to lend that view, his view and the view of his clients, additional credibility which it otherwise did not warrant. That is clear from the context. It was a “small p” political campaign dressed up as a legal claim.[39]

Peter Fields, acting for Hyland, responded:

I am not suggesting for a moment that the scientific investigation would prove Mr Hyland right [but] he believed that he was and that is my submission.[40]

The hearing concluded with an order for Hyland to pay a fine of £15,000 and costs of £66,500.[41]

Anna de Buisseret[edit]

Anna de Buisseret in 2021 waving a copy of a legal case and very inaccurately describing it.
The Simpsons predicted Anna de Buisseret in 1997.
“”Waving a copy of a legal case and very inaccurately describing [it] does not count as the law. Celebrities shouldn’t be retweeting this. People should listen to doctors, not Matt le Tissier or people waving copies of legal cases outside hospitals.
—Adam Wagner, barrister[11]
“”We do not recognise the speaker as an expert in the field of vaccine regulation and find no basis for her claims, which we regard as false and seriously misleading.
—Julian Hitchcock, an actual lawyer at Bristows[9]

Annamarie Harvey de Buisseret also known as Anna de Buiscuit[9] (6 September 1965–30 November 2024)[42] was a non-practising, "confused,"[10] and "just wrong"[11] solicitor[43] with multiple misunderstandings of English case law[10] turned antivax activist, whose legal advice was described by experts as "false," "seriously misleading,"[9] and "errant nonsense."[11] Defending her non-practicing status, de Buisseret maintained:[9]

I’ve explained multiple times already that I am not conducting ‘reserved legal activity’ so do not require a practising certificate.

"I am not 'anti-vaccine'," de Buisseret maintained, but, "I am against the use of experimental gene treatments." She demonstrated her not antivax beliefs by going on to state:[44]

The vaxxed have been deceived, lied to, coerced, threatened, intimidated, harassed, guilt tripped and shamed into taking part in this live human experiment.

In an email response to Reuters, de Buisseret challenged fact checkers to prove it “factually incorrect to state that both domestic and international laws are being broken here in the UK,” so they did and have continued to do so.[9]

Factually incorrect on international law[edit]

The British Institute of Human Rights says that while enforced vaccination would be a violation of human rights, voluntary vaccination protects the right to life and to be safe from serious harm. Furthermore, vaccines and medicines are routinely monitored as they are rolled out en masse, and this does not mean that they are experimental or untested. Therefore, their administration does not constitute crimes against humanity or genocide as de Buisseret claimed.[9]

Factually incorrect on domestic law[edit]

The COVID-19 vaccines have been tested, licensed and monitored to ensure “the highest standards of safety are met and maintained” in accordance with UK law by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). Severe side effects have been shown to be extremely rare, undermining the assumption of harm upon which de Buisseret's legal argument rests.[9]

Law professor Michael Thomson of the University of Technology Sydney and University of Leeds, maintains:

Given regulatory approval, and the overwhelming weight of biomedical data regarding efficacy and the extent to which the benefits outweigh the risks, a court is highly unlikely to see [the vaccine] as experimental. The nature of the risks and benefits also mean that a child or young person may well have sufficient understanding and intelligence to fully understand the proposed vaccination, and will therefore be able to provide consent.[10]

"She's just wrong," responded barrister Adam Wagner to her comments about children being unable to give informed consent for vaccination, continuing:

Firstly, as long as a parent consents to their child having the vaccine, they can have it, as long as it’s allowed by the NHS – which it is [for people with medical conditions in the 12 to 15 group, and all over-16s]. Second, if a child wants to consent themselves without their parents’ consent, or without their parents knowing – for example if their parents are vaccine deniers – they have just got to have an adequate understanding of the pros and cons, known as Gillick competence.[11]

Barrister Bianca Jackson added:

In general, the administration of childhood vaccines is considered to be in a child’s best interests and vaccines are not considered ‘experimental’. Indeed, there are no reported cases – in either private or public law – where the court has refused an application to vaccinate following a contested hearing.[10]

De Buisseret seemed confused about Bell v Tavistock, concluded Jackson, stating:

She claims in the video that Bell v Tavistock means that children under 18 cannot consent. In actuality, Bell v Tavistock said: (i) the presumption remains that children 16 and over have the ability to consent to puberty blockers; (ii) it is doubtful that a child aged 14 or 15 could understand and weigh the long-term risks and consequences of the administration of puberty blockers; and (iii) it is highly unlikely that a child aged 13 or under would be competent to give consent to the administration of puberty blockers. This was not a blanket denial of a child’s ability to consent…[10]

Law professor Suzanne Ost of Lancaster University responded to de Buisseret's use of the Bell v Tavistock judgement:

There is no legal authority that supports the direct application of Bell v Tavistock to the issue of children, consent and mRNA vaccines. The Bell case was limited to puberty blockers and the [original] judgment makes this absolutely clear. Any extrapolation of the aspects of the judgment to children’s consent to mRNA vaccines would need to be argued in court.[10]

“Bell and Tavistock was about a very different scenario to the vaccine," concluded Wagner, "Waving a copy of a legal case and very inaccurately describing [it] does not count as the law."[11]

Bristows law firm told Reuters that regulation of medicines and vaccines, in which they specialise, is “complex” and requires “a very high degree of legal specialism”. “Without clear evidence of such expertise," they added, "we urge anyone who comes across such claims to report the post to the social media operator concerned.”[9]

Tess Lawrie[edit]

Tess Lawrie demonstrating the delicate art of cherry-picking.
“”[Tess] Lawrie has a large online following of vaccine sceptics to whom she spruiks the dangers of vaccines while holding up ivermectin as an effective treatment. Indeed, she’s weaponised the meta-analysis as part of her pro-ivermectin, anti-vaccine campaign – views that are at odds with the impartiality expected of someone carrying out a meta-analysis.
—Elizabeth Finkel on COVID pandemic fraud[45]
“”Ivermectin works. There's nothing that will persuade me [it doesn't]. The only issues with the evidence base are the relentless efforts to undermine it.
—Tess Lawrie on her commitment to evidence-based medicine[46]

Theresa Anne Lawrie (June 1967–)[47] is a former obstetrician[48] turned obstinate anti-vax activist and inveterate ivermectin pusher. During the pandemic she founded pseudo-medical organizations the British Ivermectin Recommendation Development (BIRD) group and the World Council for Health (WCH), and convened Better Way Conference. She has not been licensed to practice since August 9, 2021, and as of March 25, 2024 is no longer registered with the General Medical Council (GMC).[48]

Ivermectin's for the birds[edit]

In January 2021, Lawrie, through her seemingly misnamed Evidence-Based Medicine Consultancy, published a rapid review, in support of the claims of misguided activist group Front Line Covid-19 Critical Care Alliance (FLCCC), which erroneously found in favour of the effectiveness of ivermectin against COVID-19. This antiparasitic drug has not, in fact, been shown to be an effective treatment or preventative for COVID-19. Lawrie's meta-analysis was not peer-reviewed prior to release and was found to have cherry-picked studies with unacknowledged limitations, including:

  • a preprint which was withdrawn due to plagiarism and potential data fabrication,
  • three then ongoing clinical trials which produced inconclusive results, and
  • a report by a data analyst with no training in medicine or biology.

The meta-analysis also disregards more recent higher-quality studies which found no significant benefit from the treatment.[49][50]

She nonetheless went on to form the British Ivermectin Recommendation Development (BIRD) group as a counterpart to the US-based FLCCC in using crowdfunding to push protocols for the use of ivermectin which Lawrie claimed could end the pandemic in weeks. Lawrie responded to criticisms of BIRD's partnership with Robert F. Kennedy Jr's antivax Children's Health Defense by stating it “irrelevant to the global need for early safe and effective treatment for Covid-19”.[51][52][46]

Bird-brained ideas on vaccine safety[edit]

The COVID-19 vaccines have be shown to be safe with the benefits vastly outweighing the risks of the disease. Lawrie's claims to the contrary are based on a (deliberate) misunderstanding of UK's Yellow Card and WHO's VigiAccess systems. These databases collect reports from the public of adverse reactions, however, the vast majority of reports are for minor, transitory and expected reactions, and even the more serious reports do not necessarily have a causal relationship with the vaccines. Global Health Policy and Data Institute director Timothy Mackey confirms, "absolute numbers of adverse events that are presented by these anti-vaxx groups are influenced by a higher number of non-serious adverse events and also unvalidated reports," and this is done, "to amplify concerns about (the) safety of vaccines." In actuality the number of confirmed serious adverse events, "is very low."[53][54]

There is also no evidence of serious harm from the HPV vaccine, despite Lawrie's claims to the contrary in a March 10, 2024, Xcretion.[55]

Tracey McCallum[edit]

Tracey McCallum and all the evidence for her claims.
“”We consider the misconduct serious because over a significant period Miss McCallum used her status as a registered nurse to widely promote health advice which was contrary to recommended practice and official health advice.
—Nursing and Midwifery Council report[56]

Tracey McCallum (December 1974–)[57] is a former registered nurse with twenty-years experience in spinal injuries and addiction services with NHS 24 turned anti-vax conspiracy theorist.[58] During the pandemic, she pushed conspiry theories from the likes of Vernon Coleman, David Icke, and Russia Today proclaiming Covid-19 a "scamdemic," warning of government "genocide" plans, and accusing the NHS of war crimes. Dismissing vaccines, masks, and PCR tests as tools of mass oppression, she instead promoted quack cures like hydroxychloroquine, vitamin D and zinc supplements.[59] She was also found to have shared details about a patient’s health and information about a work colleague in a social media post, breaching confidentiality.[60] Unsurprisingly, the Nursing and Midwifery Council eventually suspended her for serious misconduct,[61] she allowed this suspension to lapse as she retired from nursing to work as a chiropractic recepionist.[62]

Nursing a grudge[edit]

McCallum first gained attention through incoherent, error-ridden social media posts promoting conspiracy theories and COVID-19 misinformation.[56] She questioned the severity of the pandemic, labeled COVID-19 a "scamdemic," and framed public health measures as part of a global plan for control and harm. She spread fears about government isolation camps, forced quarantines, and loss of freedoms, while endorsing notorious cranks David Icke and Vernon Coleman, and fringe platforms Russia Today and Bitchute. She dismissed vaccines and masks as dangerous, promoted discredited treatments like hydroxychloroquine and vitamin D, accused the NHS and government of corruption and genocide, and claimed primary care was being intentionally dismantled.

Building upon the exposure she received from these posts, she pressed her claims on a small tour of conspiratorial podcasts, imcluding two appearances on The Richie Allen Show (19 November 2020 and 16 November 2021) and one on The Shelley Tasker Show (Cornwall Revolution Radio, 25 November 2020).[56] During these appearances, she repeated her unsupported claims questioning the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccines, alleging insufficient testing, rushed production timelines, and suggesting links to global depopulation agendas. She continued criticizing masks as harmful and ineffective, causing hypoxia or illness. And accusing the government, NHS, and pharmaceutical companies of corruption and deception, referencing population control theories involving figures like Bill Gates and Boris Johnson. Additional claims involved distrust in public health messaging, skepticism over the Yellow Card reporting system, fears about authoritarian control, and comparisons to historical atrocities such as the Holocaust.

Reached for comment by The Daily Record[58] and The Daily Mirror,[63] she defendeded her bullshit, pleading that she had been targeted for questioning official narratives and expressing scepticism about vaccines and masks.[56] She continued pushing hydroxychloroquine, citing her personal preference for established treatments and refusing to promote new vaccines. She also drew parallels between nurses' during the Holocaust and the COVID-19 vaccine roll out, emphasizing her unfounded concerns over side effects and ethical responsibility. Finally, she criticized mainstream media influence and encouraged everyone to do their own research.

John O'Looney[edit]

"You merely adopted the lunacy. I was born in it."
Given the recognition he deserves.
“”John O’Looney, a funeral director and antivaxer, had been due to speak at the march but is believed to be in hospital with COVID.
—Tom Ball, The Sunday Times[64]
“”Yes, Mr Amis, it’s very droll. I’m just wondering whether perhaps the name you’ve given to this eccentric conspiracy theorist is a touch lacking in subtlety.
—Michael Deacon, The Telegraph[15]

John O'Looney (1968–)[65] is a British funeral director,[22] antivaxxer, and COVID-19 denialist known for catching COVID-19, supporting clottish claims about the vaccinated, and exemplifying nominative determinism. O'Looney has made a litany of false claims in viral videos debunked by fact checkers throughout the pandemic.[66][67]

Grave concerns[edit]

Early in the pandemic, O'Looney expressed concerns over the emotional and financial burdens being placed on families by the pandemic and the resultant government restrictions on funeral attendance, which he attempted to alleviate by offering half-price unattended, cremation-only funerals.[68][69]

Following the identification of Omicron variant in November 2021, O'Looney claimed the virus was just a common cold and that the COVID-19 vaccine, like chemotherapy, inhibited the immune system, in a video statement:

We're in winter and there are colds and flus about at this time of the year. These people [who have been vaccinated] can't fight it off. The government were very quick to label it as Omicron, a new variant. — John O'Looney[70]

On December 14, 2021, O'Looney doubled down on his mistaken belief about Omicron being a common cold and the vaccine inhibiting the immune system, in a Tweet that did not age well:

Just getting over the cold doing the rounds - three days in and I'm feeling back on the right path. This is the one that is decimating the "protected" for weeks. Wonder why I'm so resilient ? — John O'Looney

He was, unfortunately, unable to attend O'Looney was unable to attend the "Let the UK Live" anti-vax "freedom rally" in his hometown of Milton Keynes as he was in the ICU having discovered first-hand the reality of the pandemic he had previously denied, finally admitting:

I was initially sceptical about Covid but I can confirm it’s validity and it is very nasty. But I can also tell you it is 100% man-made this is not a natural virus and this is an attack on all of us – it’s a bio weapon. — John O'Looney[22][70][71]

O'Looney, with the assistance of retired policeman turned sovereign citizen Mark Sexton, discharged himself from hospital on Christmas Eve against medical advice claiming, "I feel very fortunate to have escaped hospital (I never dreamt I would have lived to say that)." O'Looney subsequently told tall tales of how he foiled the doctors' attempts to kill him by refusing their experimental treatments (including something called remdesivir) and eventually escaping; how the staff became suspiciously frustrated by his repeated refusal of treatment; oh and also how the food they served was tasteless (although that last one may have been due to the COVID).[70][71]

I’d say I actually feel like I’ve been poisoned – this is my thing but a natural virus and these bastards have a lot to answer for. I’d urge people to avoid hospital at all costs personally based on my experience in it. There was no emphasis on healing me at all and the focus was only on getting me to agree to as many experimental drugs as the Oxford University rep could coerce me into agreeing to take In fact in the few days I was in there I met a consultant just once briefly and for the time it took him to accept I wasn’t going to be a guinea pig. I never saw him again after that, but I was visited several times by the gates funded Oxford university rep at my bedside …… I’ve never ever seen this type of mercenary Frankenstein bullshit in a British hospital before and never want to see it again. — John O'Looney[70][72]

Now convinced of the reality of the pandemic, O'Looney quickly pivoted to anti-vax activism.

Pandemic lunacy[edit]

O'Looney has been a vocal supporter of the entirely unsubstantiated claims made by fellow funeral director Richard Hirschman that the vaccinated are being killed by a previously unknown type of blood clot which takes the shape of the blood vessel it grows in. He even appeared alongside Hirschman in Stew Peters' discredited "documentary" Died Suddenly despite numerous fact-checks from pathologists and fellow embalmers that these were normal clots, and any increase was most likely due to the extended time bodies were spending in refrigeration O'Looney himself had noted early in the pandemic.[73][74][75]

The WHO did not change the definition of pandemic, which is declared “when there have been verified community-level outbreaks of a new influenza virus, passing from human-to-human, in two or more countries in more than one WHO region,” despite O'Looney's claim it was redefined to allow a harmless flu to be classified as such.[66]

SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is, according to overwhelming scientific consensus, a zoonotic spillover, and not, as O'Looney has variously claimed, either a harmless flu[66] or a man-made bio-weapon engineered to frighten people into getting vaccinated. Furthermore, ivermectin has been shown to have no effect on controlling the virus, contrary to O'Looney's claim. Finally, anecdotal evidence is not sufficient to counter either of these facts, no matter what O'Looney says.[67]

73,766 deaths due to COVID-19 in England and Wales were registered between March and December 2020, contrary to O'Looney's claim of no “pandemic death rate” that year. Furthermore, widespread death in care homes in the first wave of the pandemic was, in fact, due to COVID-19 and not, as he claims, a government euthanasia campaign using end of life care drug midazolam.[66] Finally, his claim of seeing vials in the bins is not the evidence for the 1,000% increase in the use of the drug he claims it is.[67]

Face-masks have been found useful in preventing the spread of Covid-19, despite O'Looney's claims to the contrary. And there is no evidence for his claim they cause pneumonia.[66]

Authorised COVID-19 vaccines have been through the normal trial stages with the results published in peer-reviewed journals, despite O'Looney's claims to the contrary.[66] Furthermore, the vaccinated are not dying suddenly from myocarditis or turbo cancers nor do they illuminate under a UV light as he has claimed. And, finally, this not, as he seems to fear, a sign that it is the Mark of the Beast.[67]

The highest ranks of the political class did not avoid the vaccine, despite O'Looney's claim that this is the reason they are not dying suddenly in large numbers. Furthermore the majority are surprisingly human, contrary to his claims that they have no humanity in them and are literally not human.[67]

Other lunacy[edit]

There is no evidence that surveys are being undertaken to replace every single farm in the UK with a solar farm, despite O'Looney apparently being told this in a lengthy conversation with the surveyor looking over the farmland at the back of his house.[67]

Unfortunately, it has been impossible to fact check O'Looney's claim that Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire features, "golden orbs of wisdom that fell from the tree of life," as it is unclear what the hell that even means.[67]

Mark Sexton[edit]

Who's got two thumbs and no idea how the law works?

Mark Sexton (1961–) is a British retired police officer turned anti-vaxxer, COVID-19 conspiracist and pseudolegal scheme proponent,[76][77] who is best known for his criminally reckless misunderstanding of the law and the workings of the justice system.

An uncommon lawman[edit]

Sexton came to prominence via a self-filmed video of his June 18, 2021, visit to Leamington Police Station to request the arrest and prosecution of Stratford MP and vaccine minister Nadhim Zahawi for the criminal offence of misconduct in public office, and to demand that vaccines be stopped as a matter of urgency. Warwickshire Police said that they would be taking no further action as a result of the contact.[78]

At an anti-vaxx/anti-lockdown protest in Parliament Square on July 19, 2021, Sexton made the extraordinary claim that unless the lockdown was lifted and the vaccine rollout halted, citizens had the right to forcibly arrest MPs and ministers and establish common law courts. This was interpreted as a reference to some kind of pseudolegal scheme or other, a number of which were gaining popularity in the UK at that time.[79]

In July 2022, Sexton issued, "under common law," which is not to be confused with actual law, his own worthless arrest warrants for a number of prominent politicians, government advisors and media executives.[80]

We would very much like to see him try and serve one.

Sam White[edit]

Sam White thinking of using you for his pleasure.
“”This is not a conspiracy theory, it is a conspiracy of fact.
— Sam White[81]
“”Dr White’s baseless claims and scaremongering would have had an adverse influence on scared and worried members of the public.
— Medical Practitioners Tribunal[81]

Samuel White (February 1980–)[82] is a holistic practitioner[83] and former NHS GP[84] with "libertarian principles"[85] who was temporarily suspended and gagged for spreading medical misinformation during the COVID-19 pandemic.[86] He went viral celebrating the lifting of that gag order by seeming to broadcast his sexual kinks to the world.[87][88] White was struck off by the General Medical Council (GMC)[84] after being found guilty of misconduct in a virtual hearing (19 Aug 2024 to 27 Aug 2024) of the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) which he did not attend.[89][90][91] He continues to conduct private holistic consultations for £345 for 60 minutes.[83]

Serious concerns[edit]

In June 2021, White, who graduated from the University of Wales in 2004 and had been a registered GP since 2010,[89] posted a seven-minute video clip to Instagram and Twitter in which he claimed to have resigned from his former role as a partner at the Denmead Health Centre in Hampshire, because of the ‘lies’ around the NHS and Government approach to the pandemic that were ‘so vast’ he could no longer ‘stomach or tolerate’ them. He specifically expressed unsubstantiated concerns about the safety of the COVID-19 vaccine and testing methods and falsely claimed that ‘masks do nothing’.[85][86]

Following "serious concerns" reported to the GMC, White was temporarily suspended from his position as a locum GP, and following the lifting of the suspension, was placed under a gag order for a maximum of 18 months, to prevent him "using some language that echoed conspiracy theories about the pandemic," and "may have a real impact on patient safety."[85] This was done in accordance with GMC ethical guidelines, also applying to social media, that doctors "must not impose [their] beliefs and values on patients or cause distress by the inappropriate or insensitive expression of them."[86]

Upon appeal to the High Court, Justice Ian Dove, with reference to provisions in the Human Rights Act 1998, concluded that the GMC had made "an error of law and a clear misdirection," in restricting White's freedom to express medical misinformation.[92] Dove stressed he was expressing no views on the merits of White’s claims, but rather ruling on the tribunal’s decision making process.[93]

WhatsApp Doc?[edit]

WhatsApp Doc?

White celebrated the lifting of the ban by immediately appearing on the ever-reliable GB News to repeat his claims. A clip of the interview, seemingly screen-recorded on an Apple device, which was uploaded to his own website, went viral after it was found to be interrupted part-way through by a WhatsApp message popping up on the screen reading:

As you rest just give a thought to using me for your pleasure. Having me on my knees doing whatever you say... xxx. — Suzie Sub

This, according to White, must have been the work of hackers as he had "lived a very sheltered life" and "never met anyone like Susie."[87][88] He says he reported the incident to the police and had a crime reference number, which is possibly where he got the idea for his next misadventure.

White appeared on the March 26, 2022, episode of GB News' Neil Oliver Live still promoting the use of ivermectin for the treatment of COVID-19.[94]

References[edit]

  1. ↑ Lockdown protesters descend on Hyde park chanting 'freedom' as cops make arrests by Emma Parker (May 17, 2020) Daily Star
  2. ↑ Police charge former UKIP Milton Keynes candidate over anti-5G protest held during lockdown (June 22, 2020) MKFM
  3. ↑ 'Masks are muzzles': Protestors gather outside Milton Keynes Civic Offices (August 21, 2020) MKFM
  4. ↑ Late night protest rallies about 10pm curfew to be held this Friday and Saturday in Milton Keynes by Sally Murrer (October 1, 2020) MK Citizen
  5. ↑ Freedom fighters' to parade through shopping centre without masks in Milton Keynes protest this weekend by Sally Murrer (May 20, 2021) MK Citizen
  6. ↑ Anti-lockdown campaigners backed by Piers Corbyn and David Icke push for illegal 'Great Reopening' of shops and businesses from TOMORROW despite Covid rules - as police threaten 'ultimate action' against flouters (29 January 2021) MailOnline
  7. ↑ Covid lockdown: Why Magna Carta won’t exempt you from the rules by Alistair Coleman (6 March 2021) BBC News
  8. ↑ Among the Covid sceptics: ‘We are being manipulated, without a shadow of a doubt’ by Samira Shackle (8 April 2021) The Guardian
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 9.6 9.7 9.8 COVID-19 vaccines approved by UK health regulator are being delivered legally (July 20, 2021) Reuters
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6 10.7 10.8 Bell v Tavistock case is unrelated to vaccines for children (September 28, 2021) Reuters
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5 11.6 Anti-vaxxer launches nonsense rant that vaccines are 'murdering our children' by James Cheng-Morris (August 31, 2021) Yahoo! News
  12. ↑ Covid antivaxers ‘met senior Conservative MP’ Sir Graham Brady by Tom Whipple (September 30, 2021) The Sunday Times (archived September 30, 2021)
  13. ↑ Senior Tory MP Sir Graham Brady ‘met with anti-vaxxers’ by Zoe Tidman (September 30, 2021) The Independent
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Mysterious Medical Organizations Are Calling for an End to COVID Vaccines by Anna Merlan (February 2, 2022) VICE News
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Way of the Worldl by Michael Deacon (January 4, 2022) The Telegraph
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 16.4 Anti-Vaxxers Think a 9-Digit Code Shows Vaccine Sites Are Criminal. It Doesn’t. by Tim Hume (January 21, 2022) VICE News
  17. ↑ Believe It Or Not, These Anti-Vax Ads Were Published By Two Local Papers by Rachel Moss (May 25, 2022) HuffPost
  18. ↑ British newspaper retracted advert for vaccine ‘crimes’ (January 20, 2022) Reuters
  19. ↑ ASA condemns regional newspapers for running anti-vax ads by John Glenday (May 25, 2022) The Drum
  20. ↑ Anti-vaxxers storm Covid testing centre during ‘freedom’ rally in Milton Keynes by Léonie Chao-Fong (December 29, 2021) The Guardian
  21. ↑ Covid: Anti-vax protesters disrupt Milton Keynes NHS test centre (December 30, 2021) BBC News
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 Milton Keynes funeral director who's an avid anti-vaxxer ends up in hospital with Covid by Sally Murrer (January 4, 2022) MK Citizen
  23. ↑ COVID Conspiracists Are Threatening Schools With a Fake Police Investigation by Tim Hume (February 10, 2022) VICE News
  24. ↑ Solicitor charged by SRA over Covid vaccine letters (September 22, 2023) The Law Society Gazette
  25. ↑ Lawyer Charged After Legal Threats to Schools Over COVID Vaccines by Tim Hume (September 22, 2023) VICE News
  26. ↑ Anti-Vaxxers Met Police finds ‘no criminal offences’ in Covid vaccine programme after anti-vaxxer complaint by Lizzie Dearden (February 22, 2022) The Independent
  27. ↑ The Davos of COVID Conspiracy Theorists Is Happening in a UK Town Right Now by Tim Hume (May 20, 2022) VICE News
  28. ↑ Lois Yvonne Bayliss Solicitors Regulation Authority
  29. ↑ Lois Yvonne BAYLISS Companies House
  30. ↑ Philip Julian Paul Hyland Solicitors Regulation Authority
  31. ↑ Phil Julian Paul HYLAND Companies House
  32. ↑ The Metropolitan Police has not opened a criminal investigation into Britain’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout (January 20, 2022) Reuters
  33. ↑ Solicitor to face SDT over “misleading” Covid threats to schools and GPs by Neil Rose (September 22, 2023) Legal Futures
  34. ↑ Lois Yvonne Bayliss - 362480 (April 4, 2023) Solicitors Regulation Authority
  35. ↑ Covid campaign solicitor who crowdfunded SDT costs appears before tribunal over 'threatening letters' (January 26, 2024) The Law Society Gazette
  36. ↑ Philip Julian Paul Hyland - 005891 (August 8, 2023) Solicitors Regulation Authority
  37. ↑ Second solicitor to face tribunal over “threatening” vaccine letters by Neil Rose (June 13, 2024) Legal Futures
  38. ↑ Covid campaign solicitor who crowdfunded SDT costs appears before tribunal over 'threatening letters' by Bianca Castro (May 30, 2024) The Law Society Gazette
  39. ↑ ‘Vaccine campaign’ solicitor sought to cloak views in legal terminology, SRA claims by Bianca Castro (July 2, 2024) The Law Society Gazette
  40. ↑ ‘Vaccine campaign’ solicitor was following clients’ instructions in correspondence, SDT hears by Bianca Castro (July 3, 2024) The Law Society Gazette
  41. ↑ ‘Vaccine campaign’ solicitor fined £15,000 by SDT by Bianca Castro (July 4, 2024) The Law Society Gazette
  42. ↑ Mark Playne, "The Sad Loss of a Hero of the Freedom Movement", Not on the Beeb
  43. ↑ Annamarie Harvey de Buisseret Solicitors Regulation Authority
  44. ↑ Millions are following anti-vaxxer lies: Probe reveals the vast influence of social media posts that Chris Whitty says 'misled' many of those now fighting Covid in hospital by Michael Powell and Natasha Livingstone (January 8, 2022) The Mail on Sunday
  45. ↑ Data detectives dig into ivermectin studies by Elizabeth Finkel (October 7, 2021) Cosmos
  46. ↑ 46.0 46.1 Ivermectin: How false science created a Covid 'miracle' drug by Rachel Schraer and Jack Goodman (October 6, 2021) BBC Reality Check
  47. ↑ Theresa Anne LAWRIE Companies House
  48. ↑ 48.0 48.1 Theresa Anne LAWRIE General Medical Council
  49. ↑ Ivermectin isn’t a highly effective drug for treating COVID-19 by Zdenek Zadrazil (March 22, 2021) Science Feedback
  50. ↑ Current data from clinical trials offer no reliable evidence that ivermectin is effective against COVID-19; better-quality clinical trials are needed to resolve this question by Flora Teoh (April 25, 2021) Science Feedback
  51. ↑ Ivermectin frenzy: the advocates, anti-vaxxers and telehealth companies driving demand by Nick Robins-Early (September 13, 2021) Guardian
  52. ↑ Fringe Doctors’ Groups Promote Ivermectin for COVID despite a Lack of Evidence by Christina Szalinski (September 29, 2021) Scientific American
  53. ↑ Yellow Card scheme for adverse events does not suggest any new side effects of COVID-19 vaccines by Ian Le Guillou (June 16, 2021) Science Feedback
  54. ↑ Posts misrepresent reports in WHO vaccine safety database by Marisha Goldhamer (May 19, 2023) AFP
  55. ↑ HPV vaccines have been shown to be safe and effective by Leo Benedictus (April 3, 2024) FullFact
  56. ↑ 56.0 56.1 56.2 56.3 Substantive Order Review Hearing, Nursing and Midwifery Council: Fitness to Practise Committee, 15 April 2025
  57. ↑ Tracey McCallum Companies House
  58. ↑ 58.0 58.1 Sally Hind, NHS nurse who branded covid 'scamdemic' sacked for posting conspiracy theories, Daily Record, 28 Nov 2021
  59. ↑ Ayrshire nurse who branded covid 'scamdemic' sacked for posting conspiracy theories, Kilmarnock Standard, 29 Nov 2021
  60. ↑ Paul Behan, 'Scamdemic' nurse suspended for promoting conspiracy theories during Covid-19 pandemic, Ayrshire Live, 13 Nov 2024
  61. ↑ Sally Hind, Scots nurse who branded Covid 'scamdemic' has registration suspended by watchdog amid probe, Daily Record, 21 Dec 2021
  62. ↑ Sally Hind, Scots nurse who pedalled 'scamdemic' Covid-19 conspiracy theories officially quits profession, Daily Record, 22 Apr 2025
  63. ↑ Sally Hind and Tom Davidson, NHS nurse who called Covid a 'scamdemic' is sacked for spreading conspiracy theories, The Mirror, 29 Nov 2021
  64. ↑ Antivaxers threaten ‘radical action’ after boxing drills on beach by Tom Ball (January 1, 2022) The Sunday Times (archived January 1, 2022)
  65. ↑ John O'LOONEY Companies House
  66. ↑ 66.0 66.1 66.2 66.3 66.4 66.5 False claims from funeral director about facemasks, vaccines and the pandemic by Daniella de Block Golding (October 28, 2021) Full Fact
  67. ↑ 67.0 67.1 67.2 67.3 67.4 67.5 67.6 YouTube Dr interviews man who thinks vaccinated people might "illuminate". by Culture Catz (April 14, 2024) YouTube
  68. ↑ Funeral director demands help for people struggling to pay for funerals of loved ones in Milton Keynes by Sally Murrer (April 6, 2020) MK Citizen
  69. ↑ Coronavirus: Bodies 'could be left at hospital' amid virus finance fears by Matt Precey (April 7, 2020) BBC Look East
  70. ↑ 70.0 70.1 70.2 70.3 Leading anti-vaxxer finally admits COVID is real after being taken to ICU with virus by Jimmy Nsubuga (January 5, 2021) Yahoo! News
  71. ↑ 71.0 71.1 Leading British anti-vaxxer hospitalised with covid by Kieran Galpin (January 6, 2022) JOE
  72. ↑ Leading anti-vaxxer funeral director misses rally with Piers Corbyn after being admitted to ICU with 'very nasty' Covid - but urges followers NOT to go to hospital if they catch virus by Mark Duell (January 5, 2022) Mail Online
  73. ↑ Embalmers finding ‘strange clots’ in jabbed people, by Naseem Ferdowsi (February 9, 2022) PolitiFact
  74. ↑ 'Died Suddenly' film amplifies false Covid-19 vaccine claims by Marisha Goldhamer (November 29, 2022) AFP Fact Check
  75. ↑ ‘Died Suddenly’ Pushes Bogus Depopulation Theory by Saranac Hale Spencer, Jessica McDonald and Catalina Jaramillo (December 1, 2022) FactCheck.org
  76. ↑ Approved vaccines are not more dangerous than COVID-19 (July 29, 2021) Reuters
  77. ↑ FOIs about PCR cycles, cremations and SARS-CoV-2 do not prove the pandemic was a hoax (August 3, 2021) Reuters
  78. ↑ Anti-vaxxer and ex-policeman Mark Sexton tries to get vaccine minister Nadhim Zahawi arrested by Gill Sutherland (June 27, 2021) Stratford Herald
  79. ↑ Anti-Lockdown Protesters Tried to Capture a Scottish Castle. They Failed. by Tim Hume (August 18, 2021) VICE News
  80. ↑ UK sovereign citizen Mark Sexton has issued fake arrest warrants "under common law" for Boris Johnson, Rishi Sunak, Sajid Javid, Priti Patel, Chris Whitty, Patrick Vallance, BBC Director-General and others. A reminder that these warrants are worthless and have no basis in law. by Shayan Sardarizadeh (July 23, 2022) Twitter (Archived July 23, 2022)
  81. ↑ 81.0 81.1 Record of Determinations – Medical Practitioners Tribunal MPTS
  82. ↑ Samuel Ross WHITE Companies House
  83. ↑ 83.0 83.1 Dr Sam White Dr Sam White
  84. ↑ 84.0 84.1 Samuel Ross WHITE General Medical Council
  85. ↑ 85.0 85.1 85.2 Covid 'misinformation' doctor appeals GMC conditions (November 5, 2021) BBC News
  86. ↑ 86.0 86.1 86.2 GPs who criticise Covid vaccine on social media ‘vulnerable’ to GMC investigation by Costanza Potter and Tom Porter (November 24, 2021) Pulse (Archived February 9, 2022)
  87. ↑ 87.0 87.1 GB News guest says hackers to blame after raunchy WhatsApp message from ‘Suzie Sub’ appeared on website by Breanna Robinson (December 6, 2021) indy100
  88. ↑ 88.0 88.1 'I've never met Suzie Sub': Vaccine-sceptic doctor whose appearance on GB News included a message from woman saying 'use me for your pleasure' says he's lived 'a sheltered life' and he's told police he has been the victim of hackers by Sally Beck and Nick Craven (December 7, 2021) Mail Online
  89. ↑ 89.0 89.1 Dr Samuel WHITE Aug 24 (GMC number 6098658) - Medical practitioners tribunal details GMC
  90. ↑ Vaccine sceptic GP, 44, who claimed 'masks do nothing' and spread misinformation about coronavirus on social media is struck off by Matthew Lodge (September 12, 2024) Mail Online (Archived September 12, 2024)
  91. ↑ GP struck off for ‘dangerous’ claims about Covid pandemic by Eliza Parr (September 16, 2024) Pulse (Archived September 26, 2024)
  92. ↑ Hampshire GP's Covid social media ban was wrong, court rules (December 3, 2021) BBC News
  93. ↑ Covid-19: High Court overturns decision to ban GP from posting views on pandemic on social media by Clare Dyer (December 7, 2021) British Medical Journal
  94. ↑ Dr Sam White and Sally Cutler discuss Ivermectin and the dangers of using it (March 26, 2022) GB News
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