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Rishi Sunak has dismissed the idea that Reform UK, a right-wing party, is attempting to entice Conservative politicians to switch parties with monetary incentives.
The Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party, Lee Anderson, has alleged that he was promised a job for a period of five years, with a salary of £80,000 per year, if he switched parties.
Mr. Anderson criticized “amateurs” in Richard Tice’s party and rejected allegations that he used the offer as a bargaining chip to secure a high-level position within the Tory party.
Mr Tice refuted any claims of offering “cash or money” to Conservative MPs in exchange for their support, but acknowledged having multiple conversations with concerned Tories regarding Mr. Sunak.
During his attendance at a major investment summit at Hampton Court Palace, the PM was questioned about the chaos.
When questioned about his MPs potentially leaving, he replied: “My main priority is serving the needs of the citizens of Britain.”
Mr. Sunak stated that the party had presented a favorable autumn statement, in which taxes will be reduced for 28 million workers throughout the UK.
“We are reducing taxes for businesses to enable them to invest in our future development and generate employment,” stated the leader of the Conservative party. “This summit reflects the significant drive towards a thriving UK economy, which is my primary focus.”
According to The Sunday Times, Mr Anderson, a deputy chairman for the Tory party and a representative for Ashfield in Nottinghamshire since 2019, recently stated that he was offered a significant sum of money to join the party affiliated with Nigel Farage.
Richard Tice of Reform UK denied the allegation that money was offered.
On Sunday, Mr Tice denied the allegation that was supposedly stated by Mr Anderson during a South Cambridgeshire Conservative Association gathering in the past month.
“I want to be very clear – there has been no offer of cash or money in any capacity. The offer is simply the opportunity to alter the direction of the discussion,” stated Mr. Tice on BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg show.
Based on a document that includes an audio recording, Mr. Anderson informed activists that he was approached by a political party starting with the letter R and offered a large sum of money to join them. Specifically, he mentioned receiving a significant amount of funds.
He proposed that Mr Anderson utilized the idea of joining Reform as a bargaining tool to secure the position of deputy chairman in the Tory Party.
However, on Sunday evening, Mr. Anderson responded to Mr. Tice. He stated, through a statement released to GB News, that it is not uncommon for politicians to meet with those from other political parties.
He confirmed the offer, stating that at a previous meeting he was given the opportunity to join a different party for the next deal. This would involve him joining within a few months and running for the party in the upcoming election.
“If I were to lose my position, I would still have job security with the party for five years, earning the same salary as an MP.”
Mr Anderson stated that the accusation of using his position for personal gain as deputy chairman is offensive to both himself and his party.
A representative from Reform UK refused to respond to Mr. Anderson’s statement. As a prominent member of Parliament, Mr. Anderson has faced backlash for various comments on topics such as food banks and illegal immigration.
Earlier this month, it was suggested by ministers that they should disregard the law and begin transferring asylum seekers to an East African country.
However, he is highly favored by activists and MPs aligned with the right wing of the party, as demonstrated by his retention of his position in Mr. Sunak’s recent reshuffle.
The source is the Independent website.
