Lee Anderson says he has Muslim friends as he insists 'I'm not racist'
Lee Anderson has insisted he has Muslim friends as he argued he is not a racist in a strange interview.
The MP went on GB News, where he has a £100,000-a-year job, to defend himself over claims of Islamophobia.
He has been stripped of the Conservative Party whip after he told the channel on Friday that Sadiq Khan is controlled by “Islamists”.
Appearing on Monday evening, Mr Anderson said he will not apologise until the day he dies. “I’m not sorry because I stand by my words. It’s not racist to call out Islamists,” he said.
The Ashfield MP argued the Conservatives “could have given me a little bit more backing” as he was willing to show “a little bit of contrition”. But he added: “I didn't directly apologise to Mayor Khan, which I'm not going to, not while I've got a breath in my body because the comments I made weren't racist at all.”
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Mr Anderson declined to say whether he will defect to Reform UK after Nigel Farage suggested he would be welcome in the rival party, but he insisted: “I will be standing at the next election.”
Asked if he has any Muslim friends, Mr Anderson said: “I’ve got a few in Parliament and a few back home. The ones in Parliament are not very happy about remarks, but what I say to them is my comments weren't racist.
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“You can be a white person and be a Muslim, you can be Chinese and be a Muslim, you can be an African and a Muslim, so it is not racist. This Islamophobia, I don't really understand what that means other than you criticising what’s in the Quran or a religion.”
Appearing on GB News on Friday evening, Mr Anderson said that Mr Khan had "given our capital city away to his mates". "I don't actually believe that the Islamists have got control of our country, but what I do believe is they've got control of Khan, and they've got control of London," he added.
Rishi Sunak has said he does not believe Mr Anderson is a racist or Islamophobe, but admitted his remarks were “wrong” and “not acceptable”. 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.”
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.
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