Leaked messages between Tory MPs have lamented that the decision by the party to suspend former deputy chairman Lee Anderson after he accused London Mayor Sadiq Khan of being under the “control” of “Islamists” may have been a political mistake amid backlash from voters.
On Saturday, the Conservative MP for Ashfield had the whip withdrawn after he refused to back down from his claims that radical Islamists have taken “control” over the far-left London Mayor and Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer. The remarks followed months of apparently lax policing in London against anti-Israel demonstrations and a chaotic vote last week in parliament calling for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas terrorists in which the Speaker of the House Sir Lindsay Hoyle — out of fear of violent reprisals from terrorists, he claimed — broke with convention in a move which seemed to benefit Labour, his old party.
Responding to the assertion from former Home Secretary Suella Braverman that “Islamists” and “anti-semites” have taken control of the country, Anderson said on Friday: “I don’t actually believe that these Islamists have got control of our country, but what I do believe is that they’ve got control of Khan, they’ve got control of London. And they’ve got control of Starmer as well.”
The suggestion that Mayor Khan, a practising Muslim of Pakistani heritage, is under the control of “Islamists” sparked a media firestorm and ultimately resulted in Anderson’s suspension from the party in the parliament. Rather than quieting the storm, the move has appeared to amplify the story and has largely shifted focus from anti-semitism within the Labour Party to the supposed ‘Islamophobia’ within the Conservatives.
On Monday, messages obtained by Sky News from a WhatsApp group of Tory MPs elected to the House of Commons in 2019 suggested that many within the party believe that the suspension of Anderson — a popular figure among working-class voters — was a strategic misstep. Jill Mortimer MP reportedly shared messages from her constituents saying they would never vote Conservative again and that “Lee Anderson’s suspension is the final nail in the party’s coffin”.
Others, including Sarah Dines and Sarah Atherton both reportedly relayed within the message group that they had also received backlash from their constituents, while Peter Gibson said that his “inbox [is] very positive for Lee”. Others noted Brexit leader Nigel Farage openly courting Anderson to join Reform UK, which Tom Hunt reportedly said was “not good at all” for the Tories.
Conservative Party Suspends Lee Anderson MP After Claiming Sadiq Khan Controlled by ‘Islamists’https://t.co/sDpkCr1Xzp
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) February 24, 2024
Nevertheless, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has defended the decision to suspend Anderson, saying per The Telegraph: “Clearly his choice of words wasn’t acceptable. It was wrong. That is why the whip was suspended. Words matter, especially in the current environment where tensions are running high and I think it is incumbent on all of us to choose them carefully.”
For his part, Anderson appears to have no interest in apologising for his comments, telling GB News on Monday: “If you are wrong, apologising is not a sign of weakness but a sign of strength. But when you think you are right you should never apologise because to do so would be a sign of weakness.”
“My words may have been clumsy but my words were borne out of sheer frustration at what is happening to our beautiful capital city,” he added accusing the mayor of taking a soft approach to the pro-Palestinian marches for “political benefit”.
Anderson was supported by Reform UK leader Richard Tice, who said in a statement provided to Breitbart London that “Lee speaks for millions of people who are appalled by what is happening to our country.”
Tice accused Mayor Khan and the “gutless government” of Rishi Sunak of having “lost control of our streets” in allowing “pro-Hamas, hate-filled anti-semitic marches to continue”, which he noted began even before there was any military response from Israel to the Islamist Hamas terror attacks on October 7th.
“The Jewish community is scared; Londoners are scared; MPs are scared; the Speaker is scared. Even the police appear too scared to do what they are supposed to maintain the peace in our capital: arrest those who demonstrably break the law.
“Lee Anderson may have been clumsy in his precise choice of words, but his sentiments are supported by millions of British citizens, including myself. Never has Westminster and the craven left-leaning Establishment been so out of touch with ordinary people,” Tice said.
The Islamists Are in Charge in Britain Now, Laments Braverman in Wake of Gaza Vote Shambles https://t.co/wAY27tbHyf
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) February 23, 2024
