Conservative minister tells fellow Tory candidates to apologise for sharing false claims about sick boy on hospital floor

But, asked if candidates are ‘fit for office’, Nadhim Zahawi says everyone should be allowed to acknowledge ‘mistakes’

A Conservative minister has urged party candidates to apologise for sharing social media posts that falsely claimed a photo of a sick four-year-old boy lying on a hospital floor was faked.

However, Nadhim Zahawi denied their actions meant the would-be MPs were not “fit for public office”, arguing everyone should be allowed to acknowledge “mistakes”.

The business minister was confronted on BBC Radio 5 Live with evidence that “at least five” Tory candidates have shared the posts, part of a coordinated disinformation campaign say experts.

They quoted unnamed staff at Leeds General Infirmary dismissing the image of the boy receiving treatment for suspected pneumonia on a pile of coats, despite the hospital admitting it is genuine.

One was Michael Fabricant, the long-standing MP for Lichfield, who is running again for the Staffordshire seat.

“Are those people fit for public office,” Mr Zahawi was asked, by presenter Emma Barnett.

The minister replied: “They’re wrong to have shared it and they should apologise,” adding: “As long as they recognise that and apologise then, absolutely.”

Mr Zahawi also said: “People make mistakes on social media – they may retweet stuff or share it – but as long as they recognise their mistake, then of course, why wouldn’t they be?

But Ms Barnett told him: “They have accused a family with a sick boy of staging it during an election.

“That is the lowest you can go – it’s not just a mistake of not knowing a number which you could forgive.” She added: “That is a serious breach of judgment.”

The minister said people should “remember the young toddler and also his mother, who has actually pleaded for privacy” – prompting the presenter to say: “They haven’t helped that have they?”

Experts have said the campaign to spread the fake story, using bot-like accounts on Twitter and Facebook, appeared to be an attempt to lessen the damage to Boris Johnson from the story.

The prime minister was criticised for trying to avoid looking at a photo of the boy, after Labour used the photo to highlight the effect of cuts to NHS services.