Anderson says Tory Party ‘stifles free speech’ as he defects to Reform
by Nina Lloyd
Mar 11, 2024
4 minutes
Lee Anderson accused the Conservative Party of stifling “free speech” by suspending him amid an Islamophobia, as he announced his defection to Reform UK.
The Ashfield MP, who lost the Tory whip last month after making widely criticised remarks about Sadiq Khan, said he found it “unpalatable” that he had been disciplined for “speaking my mind”.
In an open attack on the party that had formerly elevated him to deputy chairman, he claimed other Tory MPs share his views but will not stick their heads “above the parapet”.
He announced his switch to the right-wing populist party at a press conference alongside Reform UK leader in London on Monday.
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