Lee Anderson: from Labour councillor to Labour wind-up merchant

Despite only being an MP for a short time, Lee Anderson has managed to create a lot of uproar during his career. From being a miner in the past to becoming the MP for Ashfield, Anderson has made headlines for reasons that many of his colleagues have not.

Even before his election, Labour party was demanding his immediate dismissal due to his proposal of forcing troublesome social housing tenants out and having them live in tents while also making them work in farms.

Anderson possesses remarkable skills in shutting down the Labour party. His expertise in this area arises from his prior experience as the office manager for Gloria del Piero, a previous Ashfield MP for the Labour party, as well as his time as a Labour council member on the Ashfield district council. During these roles, Anderson became well-versed in knowing exactly what actions to take to bring about the downfall of the Labour party.

The Conservatives highly valued him as a one-man commentator without moderation due to his talent for portraying Labour as overly fussy and vocalizing the unutterable in his strong Nottinghamshire accent.

He verbally instructed the asylum seekers who were unhappy with their housing on the Bibby Stockholm barge to return to France.

According to Anderson's point of view, overseas detainees are enjoying a luxurious life inside their cells and are only not getting deported because of liberal attorneys.

There was a time when he replied to a member of parliament from the Labour Party who had some worries about the discrimination that Gypsies and Travellers endure. He remarked that the Travellers in his electorate were less prone to selling you lucky heather but could easily be spotted exiting your shed at 3 AM with your lawnmower and various tools in tow.

The Tories thought he was an advantageous match for Rishi Sunak, thanks to his £180 “smart mug” and incredibly wealthy wife. They believed he could attract voters who were put off by Sunak’s pricey shoes and Jacob Rees-Mogg's way of speaking. They appreciated him flaunting his tattooed arms on GB News, hoping it would bring the party of the privileged and well-off closer to the working-class with tattoos.

This is how he was promoted to the position of the party's vice-chair in February, shortly after a controversial interview in which he openly backed capital punishment.

The Conservative party hadn't made any intentions of reintroducing the death penalty. However, could it potentially benefit them if Anderson managed to appeal to the significant amount of voters who still support this form of punishment?

In the same way, Anderson made it public in 2021 that he was refusing to support the England football team due to their kneeling before matches. Despite this, his party didn't support him in his decision, as they believed that many people agreed with his stance. Hence, he was left to fend for himself.

The opinions he holds regarding women are quite unsatisfactory. Cheryl Butler, who was the Ashfield council's leader for the Labour party when Anderson was in office, shared with the Observer that he was declined when he tried to reapply for a position as a Labour council member in 2018. One of the reasons cited for his rejection was his stance on equality and diversity.

According to Butler, the individual displayed misogynistic behavior. During his interview, he expressed the belief that a woman should be confined to the kitchen and taking care of the children at home.

His departure from the Labour party may have been influenced by those beliefs, but they were likely seen as a benefit by numerous members of the Conservative party.

However, Anderson crossed the line on Saturday when he made a statement to GB News, claiming that Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, had handed over our capital city to his friends.

According to him, he does not hold the view that the Islamists have taken over the country. Nevertheless, he asserts that they have taken over London and Khan.

Despite being asked to resign, he did not comply and as a result he lost his position of power. However, there is no guarantee that he will be kicked out of the party, which would disqualify him from representing the Conservative party in the forthcoming national elections.

The deputy prime minister, Oliver Dowden, has hinted that Anderson might be allowed to return in the future. Dowden expressed that Anderson's remarks were "unacceptable." However, he also mentioned that if Anderson apologizes, they will assess the sincerity of the apology. The final decision would ultimately be made by the chief whip.