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Conservative MP Lee Anderson has been accused of racism and Islamophobia after claiming London Mayor Sadiq Khan is “controlled by Islamists”, leading many to express “hate and division”. They are demanding that the mayor remove his whip for spreading the word.
Politicians are calling on Chancellor Rishi Sunak to expel Mr Anderson from the Conservative Party following his abuse of London’s mayor.
Speaking on GB News, Mr Anderson claimed Mr Khan, London’s first Muslim mayor, had “ceded our capital to his cronies”.
“I don’t actually believe that Islamists control our country, but what I do believe is that they control Khan and they control London,” Anderson said. said.
His comments have been condemned as “dangerous and divisive” and Conservative leaders are under pressure to take urgent action.
Labor has now written to the Prime Minister to remove Mr Anderson’s whip, which would allow him to sit as an independent rather than a Conservative.
Labour’s shadow health secretary Wes Streeting described Mr Anderson’s comments as “blatant racism and Islamophobia”.
“It’s divisive and dangerous,” he said. “The Conservative Party has gone beyond the dog-whistle strategy of the last mayoral election and into outright racism and Islamophobia. Get your act together.”
Labor Party chairwoman Anneliese Dodds said Mr Anderson’s comments were “clearly racist and Islamophobic”.
“Rishi Sunak needs to take the whip off immediately. If he’s too weak, people will have their own views about the modern Tories,” she said.
Labour’s shadow finance chief, Jonathan Ashworth, has now written to the Prime Minister asking Mr Anderson to remove the party whip. He called his comments “despicable” and “horrendously racist and Islamophobic.”
Mr Ashworth also accused former Prime Minister Liz Truss of controversial media appearances with Steve Bannon and others, as well as her speech at a US conference, in which she accused former Prime Minister Liz Truss of tax-cutting efforts that had been “sabotaged by the administrative state and government”. He called for the Conservative Party to lose its whip. Deep State”.
Mr Ashworth wrote in his letter:
“Liz Truss and Lee Anderson should no longer sit as Conservative MPs. Their words cannot be ignored or challenged.”
Former Conservative Party Prime Minister Sajid Javid reposted a video of Mr Anderson commenting on X, calling it an “outrageous comment”.
Nick Laws, chief executive of campaign group Hope Not Hate, has written to the Conservative Party calling for Mr Anderson’s expulsion.
He called his comments “highly defamatory, divisive and inaccurate” and said they “fan the flames of the far right and could put the Mayor of London in serious danger.”
Liberal Democrat London mayoral candidate Rob Blackie accused Mr Anderson of “spreading dangerous conspiracy theories” and called for him to be sacked as Tory whip.
A Conservative Party source said: “Mr Lee was simply claiming that in his capacity as London’s PCC (Police and Crime Commissioner) he was completely out of touch with the horrific Islamist demonstrations that have been seen in London recently. It was,” he said. ”
Former Downing Street chief of staff Gavin Barwell spoke out against the words: That’s not what Anderson was saying – he said Islamists were controlling Khan.
“Ministers seem to be being asked to defend this filth. If they don’t want to degrade themselves by doing that, they need to put pressure on the number 10 to drop this line as soon as possible. be.”
Defense Secretary Grant Shapps was asked if former Conservative Party deputy leader Lee Anderson’s comments about London Mayor Sadiq Khan were acceptable, saying: “I would not put it that way.”
Grant Shapps distanced himself from Mr Anderson’s claims that Islamists had “taken control” of Mr Khan and that the mayor had “ceded our capital to his allies”.
But Mr Shapps added that he believed the Mayor had done “horrible things to our capital” and was concerned about the way he was cracking down on pro-Palestinian protests.
talk to BBC BreakfastHe said, “I haven’t seen the comments, so I’m just basing it off of what you just told me, but that’s certainly not how I would say things.”
“I think there are more concerns about how some of these protests are being conducted, especially the ones that have been projected onto Congress this week, but I would never put it that way.”
Asked whether Mr Anderson should lose his Conservative Party whip, Mr Shapps said the issue was “a matter for the party itself”.
He declined to say whether Mr Anderson was a suitable spokesperson for the Conservative Party, saying: “We live in a democracy where people are allowed to express their views and Mr Lee Anderson I think he is famous for expressing his opinions.”
Mr Anderson was one of the Conservative party’s deputy leaders until January, when he resigned to rebel against the government over the Rwandan vote.
He is currently one of a number of Conservative MPs to host GB News programmes.