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Jewish MP reportedly ‘escorted out of an airport in a wheelchair after drinking'
Parliamentarian accused of getting drunk on flight to Gibraltar ahead of visit to troops
November 11, 2021 15:11
Parliamentarian accused of getting drunk on flight to Gibraltar ahead of visit to troops
November 11, 2021 15:11Jewish MP Charlotte Nichols had to be escorted out of an airport in a wheelchair after drinking while travelling to Gibraltar to visit troops, a report claims.
A defence source told the Daily Telegraph that Ms Nichols had to skip a welcome dinner for MPs for her safety.
She was reportedly among three MPs accused of “drinking heavily” on a British Airways flight from Heathrow to Gibraltar.
MPs were already “quite clearly drunk when they were checking in and going through the process of boarding” and continued to drink on the plane, according to the report.
But the parliamentarians - which also allegedly included the SNP’s Drew Hendry and David Linden - denied to the Daily Telegraph that they had been drunk on the plane.
The MPs drew criticism for what Defence Secretary Ben Wallace described as “a lack of respect for the enduring work of our Armed Forces.”
Ms Nichols rejected the claim she had been drinking heavily, insisting her medication had “affected my tolerance.”
“I had the same amount to drink as the others. I do not know how many drinks I had — I wasn’t counting. It was less than five,” she told the Sun.
BBC News reported that Ms Nichols was on medication for post-traumatic stress disorder and described the incident as a "mental health episode." The MP stepped down from the shadow cabinet earlier this year citing personal reasons.
The JC understands that Ms Nichols was recently seen on crutches, having reportedly fallen down a flight of stairs.
An SNP spokesperson told the Daily Telegraph that Mr Henry and Mr Linden had attended all engagements and described suggestions contained in the report as “inaccurate”.
All three parliamentarians, the SNP and the Labour Party were contacted for comment.