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Ex-deputy of Britain’s Conservatives defects to smaller, populist party Reform UK

  • Lee Anderson was suspended as a Conservative MP in Parliament after he claimed that Islamists had ‘got control’ of London Mayor Sadiq Khan
  • On Monday, Anderson accused the governing Conservatives of stifling free speech. He said he had been disciplined for speaking his mind

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Lee Anderson announces his defection to Reform UK from the Conservative party on Monday. Photo: Bloomberg
Associated Press

The former deputy chairman of Britain’s Conservative Party, who drew condemnation last month for saying the mayor of London is controlled by Islamists, has defected to the smaller right-wing Reform UK Party.

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Lee Anderson was suspended as a Conservative lawmaker in Parliament after he claimed that Islamists had “got control” of London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who is a Muslim, amid heightened tensions in Britain over the Israel-Gaza war.

Speaking at a news conference on Monday, Anderson accused the governing Conservatives of stifling free speech.

He said he had been disciplined for speaking his mind and for “speaking up on behalf of millions of people up and down the country who agree with me”.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at the London Central Mosque in London on Monday. Photo: Pool via Reuters
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at the London Central Mosque in London on Monday. Photo: Pool via Reuters
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak condemned Anderson’s comments on Khan, and denied that his party had an Islamophobia problem.
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In defecting Anderson becomes the first lawmaker for Reform UK, which was founded by right-wing populist politician Nigel Farage. The party, formerly known as the Brexit Party, is seeking to attract dissatisfied Conservative voters mainly over the issue of immigration.

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