Conservative Member of Parliament Lee Anderson alleges that London and its mayor, Sadiq Khan, have been taken over by “Islamists.”
During an appearance on GB News, Anderson expressed his opinion on Khan, the inaugural Muslim mayor of London, stating that he has essentially handed over control of the city to his friends.
I do not personally think that the Islamists have taken over our country, but I do believe they have influence over Khan and London.
The Labour party demanded for Anderson to be stripped of the Tory whip. Anneliese Dodds, the Chair of Labour, stated: “Lee Anderson’s remarks are unquestionably discriminatory and prejudiced against Islam. Rishi Sunak must promptly revoke the whip. If he lacks the strength to do so, then individuals will form their own opinion of the current Conservative party.”
Tan Dhesi, the shadow exports minister, said: “Given the recent spike in Islamophobia and antisemitism, and the febrile atmosphere in our country, it’s deplorable that an elected MP can openly make such incendiary and divisive statements; especially against Sadiq Khan, who has done so much to foster community cohesion and tackle hate crime.”
According to a source from the Conservative party, Lee was expressing his belief that the mayor, in his role as the police and crime commissioner for London, has not effectively addressed the issue of the troubling Islamist marches that have taken place in the city recently.
A recent report revealed an increase in anti-Muslim hatred in the UK, with the number of incidents more than tripling in the four months following Hamas’s attacks. According to the charity Tell Mama, there were 2,010 recorded cases of Islamophobia between October 7th and February 7th, compared to 600 during the same time period in the previous year.
Rob Blackie, the Liberal Democrats’ mayoral candidate in London, accused Anderson of “spreading dangerous conspiracy theories” and called for him to lose the Tory whip.
I contacted the Conservative party to inquire about their intentions regarding any potential measures against Anderson.
Anderson serves as the Conservative Member of Parliament for Ashfield. He previously held the position of deputy chair for the Conservative party, but resigned in mid-January due to his disagreement with the government’s decision on the Rwanda deportation policy.
During the same appearance on GB News on Friday, Anderson proposed that politicians should get involved in police operations since they had not effectively addressed the issue of pro-Palestinian protestors.
According to Anderson, we are ultimately responsible for running the country. If the police are failing to fulfill their duties, we must intervene and assume control.
Source: theguardian.com
