Dame Margaret Hodge said she has received "disgusting" emails comparing vaccine passports with the Holocaust.

The veteran former frontbencher, who is Jewish and had relatives killed in the Holocaust, accused those who sought to draw similarities between plans for individual Covid status certification and victims of Nazi persecution of "fearmongering".

Dame Margaret shared one such email with the PA news agency, which also abused politicians and the media.
It appeared to have been sent to scores of Labour MPs.

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The MP for Barking said: "It's absolutely disgusting. We should be having a grown-up debate about vaccine passports, it's a difficult decision, a balanced decision, but we carry on waiting for the government to produce details so we can have that legitimate debate.

"It (the email) is fearmongering."

Dame Margaret, who is a frequent recipient of antisemitic hate mail, said: "For somebody like me, who never forgets that I've had relatives killed in the Holocaust, that image is just disgusting and horrible."

A government review into "Covid status certification" said they could "potentially play a role" in settings such as theatres, nightclubs and mass events, and might also be used in pubs and restaurants to reduce social distancing restrictions.

Although the documents would not be required on public transport and at essential shops and services, the review leaves open the possibility of customers having to show their certificate to enter other retailers.

The documents would record - either on an NHS app or a paper certificate - whether someone has had a vaccine, a recent negative coronavirus test or natural immunity having recovered from Covid-19.

Prime minister Boris Johnson has insisted "all possibilities" will be examined to open up the economy. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has claimed they would be a waste of taxpayers money.