26 February 2024 , 11:29
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Lee Anderson has insisted he will not say sorry for claiming Sadiq Khan is controlled by “Islamists”.
The controversial MP has had the Tory whip suspended for making the remarks, which have been condemned as “racist and Islamophobic”.
Cabinet ministers have said he would have avoided punishment if he had apologised and suggested the party could still welcome him back.
But Mr Anderson has said that he will not take back his remarks. He told GB News: "If you are wrong, apologising is not a sign of weakness but a sign of strength. But when you think you are right you should never apologise because to do so would be a sign of weakness."
Rishi Sunak today said the remarks were “wrong” and “not acceptable”, but he denied the party has Islamophobic tendencies. Speaking to local BBC radio stations during a visit to North Yorkshire, he said: "I think it's incumbent on all of us, especially those elected to Parliament, not to inflame our debates in a way that's harmful to others. Lee's comments weren't acceptable, they were wrong. And that's why he had the whip suspended.”
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Asked whether his party has an Islamophobia problem, the Prime Minister said: "No, of course it doesn't.”
In a series of TV and radio interviews, Transport Secretary Mark Harper repeatedly declined to say whether the comments were racist. Instead he suggested Mr Anderson could be welcomed back by the party, telling Sky News: "I hope he will reflect on what he said and he will retract those comments and apologise.” He continued: “He's contributed a lot in the past. I'd like to see him be able to contribute to the Conservative Party in the future.”
On Tory WhatsApp groups, MPs raised concerns about a backlash to Mr Anderson’s suspensions. Jill Mortimer, the Tory MP for Hartlepool, said a voter had told her in an email the decision was the “final nail in your party's coffin”. Wrexham MP Sarah Atherton said: “I’ve lodged my concerns due to an instant backlash from members.”
Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader Daisy Cooper said: “The refusal of Rishi Sunak and his ministers to properly call out Lee Anderson’s extreme comments shows just how low the Conservative Party has fallen. Rishi Sunak needs to condemn Anderson’s comments for what they are, Islamophobic and racist, and make clear he won’t be let back into the Conservative Party. Anything less would confirm yet again that Sunak is too weak to control his party let alone govern the country.”
Mr Anderson moonlights as a £100,000-a-year TV presenter on GB News even though he used to rail against those who split their time between the Commons and other work.
The Ashfield MP has a history of saying controversial things. He has repeatedly ranted about struggling Brits relying on foodbanks - and earned the nickname '30p Lee' for his claims about the cost of meals.