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After losing his status as a Tory member, Lee Anderson’s recent meeting with Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has sparked speculation that he may be considering joining the party.
The ex-deputy chair of the Conservative party has been associated with joining the former Brexit Party after being temporarily banned by the Conservative party for making Islamophobic remarks about Sadiq Khan.
According to GB News, Mr Anderson and Mr Tice, who took over as leader after Mr Farage, had a meeting at a Holiday Inn located at junction 28 of the M1 in South Normanton, Derbyshire on Sunday.
Lee Anderson, a Member of Parliament, has not ruled out the possibility of joining Reform UK. It has been reported that he met with the leader of the party after being stripped of his Conservative Party membership.
It occurred only a day after he was suspended by the Conservatives.
Mr Anderson made a new criticism of Mr Khan on Tuesday, alleging that he takes pleasure in protest scenes on Whitehall that disrupt parliament and reflect poorly on the government.
He also hinted at the possibility of defecting to Reform UK, adding more pressure to Rishi Sunak from the right-wing insurgent party.
During a recent interview with Channel 5 news, Mr. Anderson was questioned about his previous statements and if he stood by them.
He mentioned that he would likely alter his wording a bit.
He stated: “I believe it is all driven by politics. I believe he takes pleasure in witnessing these disruptions on Whitehall and Parliament Square, which reflect poorly on my government. I think he chooses to ignore it. That’s just how politics work.”
Over the weekend, Mr. Anderson was stripped of his Tory party membership for insinuating that the mayor of London had been taken over by “Islamists.”
Rishi Sunak has appointed Lee Anderson as the deputy chairman of the Conservative Party.
When asked if he would join the Reform UK party, the ex-Labour council member refused to answer, but stated on GB News that he had “gone through a political transformation.”
He stated, “You may quote me as saying whether or not I will join the Reform party, but I will not be commenting on my future plans.”
He additionally mentioned his plan to run in the upcoming election.
The criticism he received came at a time when high-ranking members of the Conservative party were being urged to address his implication towards Sadiq Khan as “Islamophobic”.
The LBC radio station suddenly ended an interview with the minister in charge of illegal immigration, Michael Tomlinson, stating that he did not provide a satisfactory answer to the question.
During a Q&A session with broadcasters on Tuesday, Mr. Tomlinson declined 11 instances to clarify his reasoning behind deeming Mr. Anderson’s statements as “incorrect.”
Tom Pursglove, a colleague of Lee’s in the Home Office, also declined to use the term and stated on Times Radio, “I do not believe Lee is a racist, but his statement was inappropriate.”
The prime minister and others have denounced Mr Anderson’s statements, but have refrained from labeling them as “Islamophobic” thus far.
The stance has been condemned by Labour as being “weak”. One member of the frontbench stated that the prime minister was indebted to “a strange alliance of MPs”.
On Tuesday, Bridget Phillipson, the opposition’s spokesperson on education, stated that Anderson, a prominent member of the Conservative Party, should have more informed judgment on the matter.
“I believe this highlights Rishi Sunak’s lack of effectiveness in the matter, as his response has been entirely insufficient.”
On Tuesday morning, Downing Street stated that the Prime Minister views Mr Anderson’s remarks as incorrect because they equated all Muslims with Islamist extremism.
Source: independent.co.uk
