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Lee Anderson has been suspended by the Conservative Party for claiming that London Mayor Sadiq Khan had ceded “control” of the capital to “Islamists”.
Conservative Party leaders have spoken out against the party’s former vice-chairman after he claimed Mr Khan, who became London’s first Muslim mayor, had “ceded the city to his cronies”.
A spokesperson for Chief Whip Simon Hart said: “Following his refusal to apologize for his comments yesterday, the Chief Whip has suspended the Conservative whip for Lee Anderson.”
Appearing on Friday’s GB News, Mr Anderson said: “I don’t actually believe that Islamists rule our country, but what I do believe is that they rule Khan and Muslims too. It means being in control.” London…he actually gave away our capital to his people. ”
Mr Khan said the comments “added fuel to the fire of anti-Muslim hatred”. He responded to the government’s “deafening silence” over Mr Anderson’s comments and accused Rishi Sunak of “condoning” racism.
“The message this piece sends is that Muslims are fair when it comes to racism,” he added.
The issue sparked a backlash from Conservative Party leaders, including Business Minister Nus Ghani, who slammed Mr Anderson’s words as “stupid and dangerous”.
Ghani said in a post on X (formerly Twitter): “I spoke to Lee Anderson. I denounced Islamic extremism (and have been attacked by far left, far right and Islamists).
“I do not believe for a second that Sadiq Khan is controlled by Islamists. It is as dangerous as it is foolish to say so. Frankly, this is all very tiring.”
Former home secretary Sajid Javid called Mr Anderson’s comments “ridiculous”, while Conservative MP Paul Scally said: “It’s important to call out people in your own party.” If it’s wrong, it’s wrong. ”
It comes at a time of heightened tensions in the aftermath of the Middle East conflict and a rise in Islamophobia across the UK, according to a recent study. please tell mom.
The Conservative Muslim Forum has also raised concerns about comments made in recent weeks by former home secretary Suella Braverman and former immigration minister Robert Jenrick.
write an article with daily telegraph Earlier this week, Ms Braverman said: “Islamists, extremists and anti-Semites are in charge right now.”
This has raised concerns among Conservative MPs about the future of the party’s right wing.
Reform UK chairman Nigel Farage suggested on Saturday that Mr Anderson should join the party.
Mr Anderson began his political career as a Labor MP, but was suspended in February 2018.
The move came after he received a community protection warning from the council for using rocks to prevent members of the Traveler community from “camping on property in the area”.
He then defected to the Conservative Party in 2019, but was criticized for door-knocking during a news shoot during the election campaign. channel 4 news Reporter Michael Click.
Despite this, Mr Anderson rose through the ranks of the Conservative Party to become Conservative Party chairman, but resigned after voting against Mr Sunak’s Rwanda Bill.
He has previously claimed he could survive on “30p a day”, earning him the nickname “30p Lee” from some critics. Mr Anderson has since joined GB News as a presenter, earning him £100,000 a year on top of his salary as an MP.