PM insists Lee Anderson isn't a racist as Tories admit he could be let back in
RIshi Sunak has been slammed for “lacking the backbone” to call out Islamophobia as the Tories suggested Lee Anderson could be let back into the party.
The controversial MP has insisted he will not apologise after he had the Conservative whip suspended for claiming Sadiq Khan is controlled by “Islamists”.
The PM tonight said he did not believe Mr Anderson was a racist or Islamophobe, but admitted his remarks were “wrong” and “not acceptable”. He also denied the party has a problem with Muslims. Mr Sunak told ITV Calendar: "I don't believe Lee is a racist person or an Islamophobic person, but the comments were wrong." He repeatedly refused to say if the remarks were Islamophobic.
Asked on BBC local radio whether his party has an Islamophobia problem, the Prime Minister said: "No, of course it doesn't.”
Transport Secretary Mark Harper suggested Mr Anderson could be welcomed back by the party, telling Sky News: "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.”
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But Mr Anderson 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."
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Keir Starmer said Mr Sunak was “too weak” to deal with the problems within his party. The Labour leader, who was on a visit to Shrewsbury, said: “It's Islamophobia and the Prime Minister should call it out for what it is. It's very straightforward, he lacks the backbone to call this out for what it is because he's leading a divided party, a chaotic party and it's no wonder people have just had enough of this after 14 years, and desperately want change."
Labour Party Chair Anneliese Dodds said that Mr Anderson’s comments were “only one part of a very disturbing pattern” when it comes to Islamophobia in the Tory Party. “Rishi Sunak promised a government of professionalism, integrity and accountability but has delivered sleaze and scandal and shown himself to be far too weak to stand up to those espousing extreme views in his party,” she added.
In a letter to Tory Party Chair Richard Holden, she wrote: “Every political party has a responsibility to confront racism and discrimination wherever it occurs… the case of Lee Anderson has shone a spotlight on your party’s failure to take the action necessary to confront the scourge of Islamophobia.”
In the Commons, Labour MP Dawn Butler said she had to seek extra police support over the weekend due to receiving far-right abuse that she said had been “inspired and unleashed” in part by the comments made by Mr Anderson.
On Tory WhatsApp groups, MPs raised concerns about a backlash from the party’s supporters to Mr Anderson’s suspension. 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.”
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