Labour calls for MP Lee Anderson to lose whip over ‘racist and Islamophobic’ rant
Conservative MP Lee Anderson has been accused of racism and Islamophobia after claiming that “Islamists have control” of London mayor Sadiq Khan with many calling for his whip to be removed for spreading “hate and division.”
Politicians are urging Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to remove Mr Anderson from the Tory party following his outburst against the London mayor.
Speaking on GB News, Mr Anderson claimed Mr Khan, the first Muslim mayor of London, had “given our capital city away to his mates.”
“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 Khan and they’ve got control of London,” Mr Anderson said.
His remarks have been condemned as “dangerous and divisive” with Tory chiefs under pressure to take urgent action.
The Labour Party has now written to the PM calling for Mr Anderson’s whip to be removed, which would mean he would sit as an independent MP rather than as a Conservative.
Labour’s shadow health secretary Wes Streeting has described Mr Anderson’s comments as “outright racism and Islamophobia.”
“Divisive and dangerous,” he said. “The Conservatives have gone beyond the dog whistle playbook of previous mayoral elections to outright racism and Islamophobia. Enough is enough.”
Labour Party chair Anneliese Dodds said Mr Anderson’s remarks were “unambiguously racist and Islamophobic”
“Rishi Sunak needs to immediately remove the whip. If he is too weak, then people will take their own view of the modern Conservative Party,” she said.
Jonathan Ashworth, Labour’s shadow paymaster general, has now written to the prime minister urging Mr Anderson to have his party whip removed. He described his comments as “vile” and “appalling racism and Islamophobia.”
Mr Ashworth has also called for former prime minister Liz Truss to lose the Conservative whip for controversial media appearances with people such as Steve Bannon and her speech at a US conference claiming her efforts to cut taxes were “sabotaged” by the “administrative state and the deep state”.
Mr Ashworth wrote in his letter: “It’s time to show some leadership and take on the extremists in your party.
“Liz Truss and Lee Anderson must no longer sit as Conservative MPs. Their words cannot go unchecked or unchallenged.”
Former Conservative Chancellor Sajid Javid reposted the video of Mr Anderson making the comments on X and described it as “a ridiculous thing to say”.
Nick Lowes, chief executive of campaign group Hope Not Hate has written to the Conservative Party calling for Mr Anderson to be expelled.
He described his comments as “highly defamatory, divisive and inaccurate” and said they were “stoking the flames of the far-right and could put the mayor of London in serious danger.”
Rob Blackie, the Liberal Democrats’ mayoral candidate in London, accused Mr Anderson of “spreading dangerous conspiracy theories” and also called for his to Tory whip to be removed.
A Conservative Party source said: “Lee was simply making the point that the mayor, in his capacity as PCC (police and crime commissioner) for London, has abjectly failed to get a grip on the appalling Islamist marches we have seen in London recently.”
Gavin Barwell, former Downing Street chief of staff to the Prime Minister, has spoken out against this saying: That’s NOT what Anderson said – he said Islamists have control of Khan.
“It looks like ministers are going to be asked to defend this filth. If they don’t want to degrade themselves by doing that, they need to put pressure on Number 10 to ditch this line asap.”
Mr Anderson served as one of the deputy chairmen of the Conservative Party until January, but resigned so he could rebel against the Government over the Rwanda vote.
He is currently one of a number of Conservative MPs who present a GB News show.
