Last year, at the Reform annual conference, Professor Angus Dalgleish was cited as saying it was “highly likely” that the Covid vaccines had been “a significant factor in the cancer of members of the Royal Family”
Former UKIP member Prof Angus Dalgleish was at the centre of a storm last year over “crass” comments regarding the Royal Family(Image: PA Archive/PA Images)
A doctor said to have claimed the Princess of Wales and the King’s cancers were probably caused by Covid vaccines is standing for Reform in the upcoming local elections.
Professor Angus Dalgleish was quoted at the Reform UK conference during a speech by cardiologist Dr Aseem Malhotra as saying it was “highly likely” that the Covid vaccines had been “a significant factor in the cancer of members of the Royal Family“.
The Reform party quickly distanced itself from Dr Malhotra’s claims after the September statement, saying it did “not endorse what he said”.
But now Prof Dalgleish – who later confirmed to the British Medical Journal that he does indeed believe the Royals’ cancers were caused by the Covid vaccine – is standing as a Reform UK candidate in the Sutton ward of North Cheam.
Sir Keir Starmer said in September following his claims about the royals: “I’m proud Labour are protecting half a million children by rolling out the chicken pox vaccines.
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Nigel Farage’s Reform Party distanced itself from the comments – but Prof Dalgleish is now standing as a candidate in the local elections(Image: Anadolu via Getty Images)
“In stark contrast, the man who wrote Reform’s health policy (Dr Malhotra) has made shocking and baseless claims that vaccines are linked to cancer – these dangerous conspiracies cost lives, and it shows that Reform can’t be trusted with our NHS.”
Prof Dalgleish, the former foundation chair of oncology at St George’s Hospital in Tooting, south west London, is a former UKIP member who stood for the party in the Sutton and Cheam constituency in the 2015 General Election.
In 2016, he argued that the NHS was under “intolerable pressure” and at risk of collapse due to high levels of immigration. In the aftermath of Prof Dalgleish’s claims being broadcast in September last year, Cancer Research said: “There is no good evidence of a link between the Covid-19 vaccine and cancer risk.
King Charles was diagnosed with an undisclosed type of cancer in February 2024 (Image: WireImage)
“The vaccine is a safe and effective way to protect against the infection and prevent serious symptoms.”
Speaking to the Science Media Centre, Brian Ferguson, professor of viral immunology at the University of Cambridge, said: “Evidence that mRNA vaccines cause cancer is simply untrue. There is no credible evidence that these vaccines disrupt tumour suppressors or drive any kind of process (biochemical or otherwise) that results in cancer.
“It is particularly crass to try to link this pseudoscience to the unfortunate incidents of cancer in the Royal Family.”
In 2016, he argued that the NHS was under “intolerable pressure” and at risk of collapse due to high levels of immigration. The Princess of Wales announced in March 2024 that she was diagnosed with an undisclosed cancer following abdominal surgery and underwent preventive chemotherapy.
In January 2025, she confirmed she was in remission but described the recovery process as a “life-changing” and “difficult” journey of finding a “new normal”.
King Charles, who was diagnosed with an undisclosed type of cancer in February 2024, has had his treatment reduced this year after early diagnoses and ‘effective treatment’.
The Mirror has contacted Reform for comment.