I won’t apologise – it’s a sign of weakness, says MP Lee Anderson as he ramps up attack on Khan after PM booted him out
LEE Anderson has declared he won’t say sorry over his attack on London Mayor Sadiq Khan as it would be a “sign of weakness”.
The Ashfield MP doubled down on his controversial comments, insisting “when you think you are right you should never apologise”.
The ex-deputy party chairman was stripped of the Tory whip on Saturday after saying Mr Khan was controlled by “Islamists”.
The comments sparked widespread condemnation from across the political divide including from several senior Tories, such as Tory peer Baroness Warsi and business minister Nus Ghani.
This morning, the Prime Minister also criticised Mr Anderson’s comments, branding them as “not acceptable” and “wrong” as he denied the Tory Party had issues with Islamophobia.
But Cabinet minister Mark Harper left the door open for Mr Anderson’s possible return to the Tory party, telling Sky News: “I hope he will reflect on what he said and he will retract those comments and apologise…”
Speaking to GB News, though, Mr Anderson made clear he does not intend to do so.
He said: “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.”
In a statement drawn up on Saturday but only released today, the Ashfield MP also accused the Mayor of London of overseeing “double standards for political benefit” in the way that pro-Palestinian marches are policed in London.
He wrote: “Hundreds of people had been arrested for racist abuse on these marches and we barely hear a peep from the mayor.
“If these marches were about something less fashionable Sadiq Khan would have been the first to call for them to be cancelled. It’s double standards for political benefit.”
Mr Anderson will now sit as an independent unless he defects to another party that chooses to offer him its backing.
Rumours he could join the Reform Party have been downplayed by its leader Richard Tice who said he had not had any defection talks.