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Talks are underway between suspended Conservative Party MP Lee Anderson and Reform UK over his switch to a right-wing party and could be concluded within days. I I understand.
Mr Anderson was suspended by the Conservative Party last week after claiming London Mayor Sadiq Khan had ceded “control” of the capital to “Islamists”.
Questioner I Reform leader Richard Tice declined to comment on the party’s struggle to bring Anderson into the fold, saying: “I’m not going to give you a point-by-point commentary on the debate.”
But Mr Tice defended Mr Anderson’s criticism of the London mayor, insisting the Nottinghamshire councilor for Ashfield was not an Islamophobe and that his comments were “clumsy”.
He has long claimed he intends to lure “like-minded” Conservative and Labor MPs to the Reform side in the run-up to the next general election, but has yet to take action.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak and government ministers have faced criticism for not calling Mr Anderson’s comments Islamophobic despite being suspended by the Conservative Party.
Baroness Saida Warsi, a Conservative peer who served as a cabinet minister in David Cameron’s government, said Mr Sunak needed to “find the words” to “call Islamophobia Islamophobia”.
Mr Tice disagreed, saying: “Mr Lee’s comments are unseemly, but they are far from the definition of Islamophobia.”
Anderson has announced his intention to run in the next election, but has not commented on whether he will participate in reform. He left the door open to a return to the Conservative Party, saying it was “up to Rishi”, suggesting the ball was in the Prime Minister’s side.
Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden said at the weekend he would not rule out the possibility of Mr Anderson returning from suspension, but other ministers took a more forceful stance, with Home Secretary James Cleverley urging Mr Anderson to apologize. did.
Reform leader Mr Tice also criticized Mr Khan’s stewardship of the British capital.
“Sadiq Khan seeks to divide, denigrate, label and suppress debate. That’s what he does to anyone who criticizes him,” he said.
“Londoners and the British public are outraged that he and the Met and the authorities have allowed this to happen on the streets in London and elsewhere.
“He has let us all down, so he has to shoulder the can and take responsibility.”
Mr Khan, who has enjoyed police protection normally given to the most senior ministers and members of the royal family since 2017, last week described Mr Anderson’s comments as “adding fuel to the flames of anti-Muslim hatred”. Conservative and Labor MPs expressed anger at Mr Anderson’s comments, including former prime minister Sajid Javid, who called them “ridiculous”.
Earlier this week, it was reported that Mr Khan was facing death threats from Islamic extremists and threats of violence from the far right.
The uproar comes after Susan Hall, the Conservative candidate for May’s mayoral election, was accused last year of engaging in “dog whistle politics” by claiming that London’s Jews feared Khan. I woke up after
Following Mr Anderson’s comments about London’s mayor, former home secretary Suella Braverman called on the government to focus on “how to deal with Islamic extremism in the UK”, adding: “Hysteria against people crying out for danger” That’s one of the reasons,” he added. Why aren’t we making progress? ”
Labor leader Keir Starmer claimed Mr Braverman’s comments were “extreme rhetoric”, while the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) said in a letter to Conservative Party chairman Richard Holden: , said that Islamophobia within the party is “systemic, something that is tolerated and seen by the leadership”. accepted by the majority of party members. ”
“Islamophobia has been on public display this week,” MCB Executive Director Zara Mohamed wrote in response to Ms Braverman’s comments.
Mr Tice added: “It’s only people like Anderson, Braverman and myself who will say that and represent good ordinary British people.”
Mr. Khan has been contacted for comment.