Former Conservative party deputy chair Lee Anderson has hinted at the possibility of defecting to Reform UK, potentially becoming the right-wing populist party’s first Member of Parliament.
Anderson, currently suspended from the Tory party due to comments about London Mayor Sadiq Khan, stated that he has been on a “political journey” when questioned about joining Reform UK.
Anderson, on Tuesday, February 27 neither confirmed nor denied the prospect, stating, “You’ll say Lee Anderson rules out or doesn’t rule out joining the Reform party, so I’m making no comment on my future.”
When asked about being a Conservative candidate in the next election, Anderson replied, “That’s not up to me,” but affirmed his intention to stand.
The former deputy Tory chair was suspended from the party whip for refusing to apologize for his remarks alleging that Islamists had “got control of” Khan, accusing the London mayor of “giving our capital city away to his mates.”
Currently serving as an independent MP for Ashfield in Derbyshire, Anderson’s political future remains uncertain.
Certain senior figures in Reform UK may not be receptive to Anderson. Ben Habib, the party’s deputy leader, emphasized on Tuesday, February 27 that any Conservative MP seeking to join must justify their decision. Additionally, the party needs to ensure that these individuals align with its ideological principles.
Anderson’s recent remarks surfaced amid calls from Home Secretary James Cleverly for him to apologize. However, despite the urging from Cleverly and other ministers, including Rishi Sunak, there was a notable avoidance in directly labeling Anderson’s comments as racist or Islamophobic.
On a visit to San Francisco, Cleverly said: “I think Lee should apologise. What he said wasn’t accurate, it wasn’t fair, but the chief whip and the prime minister have made the party position absolutely clear on this.”
Such an apology is unlikely to come if current comments by Anderson are anything to go by. He insisted his comments “weren’t racist at all” and added that he would not apologize to Khan “while I have a breath in my body”.
Lee Anderson received backing from Conservative MP and fellow GB News presenter Jacob Rees-Mogg, who described Anderson’s remarks about Khan as “infelicitous” but argued against his suspension.
However, a former special adviser to No. 10 on civil society and communities expressed concern that Anderson’s comments could “stoke more division in our country during what is a very sensitive period”.
Samuel Kasumu, a former adviser to Boris Johnson during his prime ministership, revealed that the prime minister’s Muslim colleagues had privately and publicly expressed concerns.
Quoting Martin Luther King, Kasumu emphasized, “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies.”
Reform UK Has Left The Door Open For Anderson
Meanwhile, Rishi Sunak, the Chancellor, may find himself dismayed as the controversy surrounding Lee Anderson’s remarks shows no signs of abating three nights after the initial incident.
The potential defection of Anderson to Reform UK adds another layer of complexity for the Conservatives, who have been grappling with challenges in recent by-elections, with Reform UK posing a threat to Tory votes in the upcoming general election.
Richard Tice, the leader of Reform UK, has left the door open for Anderson following his suspension, stating on Twitter, “I would not have removed the whip from Anderson.”
“Lee Anderson may have been clumsy in his precise choice of words, but his sentiments are supported by millions of British citizens, including myself,” he said in a statement.
The situation remains fluid, with political dynamics evolving amid these developments.
Yesterday, February 26 Rishi Sunak spent all day in interviews describing Lee Anderson’s claim about the Labour mayor of London (“I don’t actually believe that the Islamists have got control of our country, but what I do believe is they’ve got control of [Sadiq] Khan, and they’ve got control of London”) as wrong, while dodging questions about whether the comment was Islamophobic.
The obvious follow-up was why was it wrong.During the interviews, Sunak successfully avoided being sidetracked by the issue. However, this morning on LBC, Michael Tomlinson, the illegal immigration minister, was disconnected in an interview after repeatedly refusing to answer the question.
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