Lee Anderson, the former deputy chairman of the Conservative Party and MP for Ashfield, has been stripped of the Tory whip after he launched a vicious attack on Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, on live TV.
Anderson accused Khan of being under the influence of “Islamists” and claimed he had “given our capital city away to his mates”. He made the inflammatory remarks on GB News on Friday, sparking outrage and condemnation from across the political spectrum.
Khan hit back on Saturday, calling Anderson’s comments “Islamophobic, anti-Muslim and racist”. He said they were “pouring fuel on the fire of anti-Muslim hatred” and demanded an apology from the prime minister and his Cabinet.
But Anderson refused to back down or express any regret for his words. He said he had put the chief whip and the PM in a “difficult position” but insisted he would continue to “call out extremism in all its forms”.
His defiance cost him his place in the Tory party in Parliament, as the chief whip Simon Hart announced his suspension on Saturday afternoon. Hart said Anderson had left him with “no option” but to take action after he failed to apologise for his comments.
Anderson had been one of the deputy chairmen of the Conservative Party until January, when he resigned to rebel against the government over the Rwanda vote. He is known for his controversial and outspoken views on immigration, Brexit and Covid-19.
His attack on Khan was met with criticism from some of his fellow Tories, including former chancellor Sir Sajid Javid, who called his remarks “ridiculous”. The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) also welcomed his suspension, but said it was “long overdue” and that the Conservative Party had “an Islamophobia problem” that needed to be addressed.
