BMA Leader's Disturbing Comments on Brexit and Rape Exposed

Strategic Insights -

Dr Tom Dolphin, the Corbynista leader of the British Medical Association, has been criticized for comparing Brexit to rape and an alleged murderer to Jesus on social media. The comments, made in 2019, have only recently come to light. As a Labour Party activist and member under Jeremy Corbyn, Dr Dolphin's remarks are particularly concerning given his current position as BMA council chairman. The controversy comes at a time when the union is demanding a 29.2 percent pay rise for junior doctors, who will go on strike this week.

Key Takeaways:

  • Dr Tom Dolphin, BMA council chairman, compared Brexit to rape in 2019, stating that it was a matter of "embarrassment" to be conflated with actual harm.
  • He also likened Luigi Mangione, an alleged murderer, to Jesus, sharing a photograph of Mangione in an orange jumpsuit and comparing it to a painting by El Greco.
  • Dr Dolphin's comments on social media were made despite his earlier statement to junior doctors in 2023, urging them to lock down their social media due to right-wing press scrutiny.
  • The BMA is demanding a 29.2 percent pay rise for junior doctors, who will go on strike this week.
  • A BMA spokesman attempted to justify Dr Dolphin's comments, stating that they were intended to highlight the gap in perception between those affected by a major event and those who are not.

Statistics:

  • 29.2 percent: The pay rise demanded by the BMA for junior doctors.
  • 22.3 percent: The average pay rise accepted by BMA members in a government deal in September.
  • 2012: The year Dr Dolphin became a member of the BMA council.
  • 2023: The year Dr Dolphin told junior doctors to lock down their social media due to media scrutiny.

Sources:

  • "By Harriet Line Deputy Political Editor THE militant Corbynista leader of the British Medical Association once compared Brexit to rape - and an alleged murderer to Jesus, the Mail can reveal."
  • "Dr Dolphin was not trivialising the serious impact of sexual violence but instead drawing an analogy to emphasise how individuals who are not personally affected by a major event - such as Brexit - may struggle to understand the fear or harm it can cause others. 'His comments were intended to highlight the gap in perception between those who experience real consequences and those who do not.'"