Would You like a feature Interview?
All Interviews are 100% FREE of Charge
Home Secretary James Cleverley has called on Lee Anderson to apologize for his controversial criticism of Sadiq Khan, despite the former Conservative Party leader refusing to do so on Monday.
“The Prime Minister made the party’s position clear and asked Mr Lee to apologize, but when Mr Lee did not apologize, the party whip was withdrawn,” Mr Cleverley said, speaking from San Francisco on Monday.
“I think Mr Lee should apologize. His comments were not accurate and unfair, but the Whip and the Prime Minister have made the party’s position completely clear on this.”
Mr Anderson was suspended by the Conservative Party on Friday after claiming London Mayor Sadiq Khan had ceded “control” of the capital to “Islamists”.
The former Conservative Party deputy leader admitted on Monday that his initial remarks were “clumsy”, but said saying he was sorry “would be a sign of weakness”.
Mr Anderson told GB News: “You should never apologize when you think you’re right, because it’s a sign of weakness.”
In a statement to the channel, which airs the show weekly, he said he had made comments that “some people may find divisive.”
“Politics is polarizing and I am extremely frustrated by the dismal failure of London Mayor Sadiq Khan,” Mr Anderson said.
“My words may have been clumsy, but ours were born out of pure frustration at what is happening to our beautiful capital.”
In a fresh attack on Mr Khan, the now independent MP said: “Hundreds of people were arrested for racist abuse at these marches, but you hardly hear a peep from the mayor.
“If these marches had been less fashionable, Sadiq Khan would have called for them to be stopped in the first place. That’s a double standard for political gain.”
Rishi Sunak said Mr Anderson had been stripped of his Tory whip because his “choice of words was unacceptable and wrong”, but said he had repeatedly criticized the MP’s comments as Islamic. He refused to describe it as hateful.
He also rejected criticism of former interior minister Suela Braverman, who claimed that “Islamists, extremists and anti-Semites are now in charge”.
“I don’t think these comments are about any particular individual,” he said, adding: “It’s important to call out the ‘unacceptable’ scenes we’ve been witnessing on our streets lately.” .
On Tuesday, Illegal Immigration Minister Michael Tomlinson said he thought Ms Braverman’s comments were “not correct”, but added that her whip should not be withdrawn.
British Reform Party leader Richard Tice did not rule out opening the door to the suspended Mr Anderson, saying MPs considering defecting “have my number”.
The Liberal Democrats have tabled a so-called censure motion asking parliament to reprimand Mr Anderson for his comments and demand that he come to the House of Commons to apologize.
Christine Jardine, Liberal Democrat women and equality spokeswoman, said: “If the Government is too weak to condemn this action, the House of Commons, including Tory MPs, should take matters into their own hands and ensure that Islam is “Hate will not be tolerated and we must demonstrate that it will not be tolerated.” You can either be completely silent about this issue, or you can find a way to excuse the inexcusable. ”
Additional report from PA