Former Conservative Party MP Lee Anderson defectes to reformists

Former Conservative Party deputy leader Lee Anderson has defected to Reform Britain.

The defection ends weeks of speculation about the future of the Ashfield MP and TV presenter.

Anderson said he was given the opportunity to “speak in Congress on behalf of millions of people across the country” in support of reform.

Anderson said at a press conference that he is “ready to bet on himself” because he knows “how many people support reform and what they stand for.” Told.

“All I want is for my homeland to return,” he added.

Mr Anderson ruled out the possibility of holding a by-election in his seat, telling the BBC: “It would be quite foolhardy to propose a by-election when a general election could be held in May.” .

Two years ago, Mr Anderson backed an unsuccessful plan to force voters to call a by-election when an MP changes parties.

Home Secretary James Cleverley said Mr Anderson’s decision to leave the Conservative Party was a “big mistake”.

He added: “Reform is not the answer.”

Mr Cleverley said he agreed with Mr Anderson’s comments in January when he said: “Voting for reform will only get Labor in.”

Mr Anderson previously served as a Labor MP for his home town and was elected to the Redwall seat of Ashfield in 2019.

The son of a coal miner, Mr. Anderson belonged to Arthur Scargill’s National Union of Mineworkers. His first job as a politician was working in the office of local Labor Party MP Gloria de Piero, while also serving as a ward councilor.

After switching to the Conservative Party, the passionate Brexit supporter became an ally of former Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

Richard Tice, leader of Reform UK, who announced Mr Anderson’s departure from the party, said the party had found a “champion” for its plans to replace the Conservatives at the Red Wall.

Tice added that Anderson was a “very honest person.”

The Reform leader said: “I believe millions of British people supported the concerns and sentiments of Mr Lee’s comments, that our streets were being taken over by pro-Hamas, extremists, anti-Semites and Islamic extremists.” And that’s what we’re fed up with.” ”

Labour’s national campaign co-ordinator Pat McFadden said Mr Anderson’s departure showed “the Conservative Party is disintegrating”.

“The truth is that the prime minister is too weak to lead a party that is too extreme,” he said.

Some of Mr Anderson’s former colleagues criticized his defection, saying it “increases the likelihood that Britain will become less conservative”.

The New Conservative Party, which is made up of most of the 2019 Tory Red Cliff members like Anderson, said, “The Conservative Party is responsible for Lee’s departure from the party.”

In a statement, the group said the Conservative Party’s failure to live up to its 2019 general election pledges had led to divisions within the party.

Mr Anderson sparked a backlash last month when he claimed the capital had been “hijacked” amid weekly pro-Palestinian protests over the Gaza war.

In an interview with GB News, Mr Anderson said: “I don’t actually believe that Islamists are in control of our country, but what I do believe is that they are in control of Khan and London It means that they are in control.” .

“He actually handed over our capital to his people.”

Mr Anderson was stripped of his Conservative Party whip after refusing to apologize for his comments. Instead, he doubled down on his comments, although he acknowledged that his expression was “awkward.”

Lee Anderson’s decision to join Reform is undoubtedly a significant blow to Rishi Sunak and the Conservative Party.

Even though there are no members of the Diet and only a small number of members, the support rate for reformers is firmly at around 10%. This is high enough that some Tory MPs believe that winning back voters lost to Reform is just as important as winning back voters who switch to Labor.

By giving reformers a parliamentary billboard for the first time, Mr Anderson could make it difficult for the Conservatives to rally the right.

There are some important notes. Most importantly, Anderson has not defected from his position of power. He is currently suspended by Conservative MPs in Westminster after accusing London Mayor Sadiq Khan of being controlled by Islamists.

Anderson has refused to apologize for his comments, making suspension all but inevitable. Some Conservatives have complained that they want Anderson to be handed a clear path back to power, but such a path would almost certainly require an apology from Anderson. However, Mr. Anderson still refused to apologize today.

It’s also worth noting that although Mr Anderson is well known in Westminster for his combative style and has a show on GB News, he is not necessarily a nationally famous figure. Perhaps the more worrying announcement for the Conservative Party was Nigel Farage’s return to active campaigning.

But one person who undoubtedly appreciates Mr Anderson’s ability to connect with sections of the British public is the prime minister himself. Mr Sunak appointed Mr Anderson as deputy leader of the Conservative Party in February last year. And as recently as January, Anderson appeared in a campaign video called “We Should Be Proud of Our Country.”

Mr Sunak clearly believed Mr Anderson could prove to be an electoral favorite. We’ll see whether he was right or not.