Lee Anderson delivered a stern warning this morning to his former colleagues in the Tory Party, telling them to join him in Reform UK or face political oblivion.
The former Tory chairman stunned Westminster this morning, with a surprise press conference announcing his defection to the former Brexit Party.
Mr Anderson, Reform UK’s first-ever MP, said the decision to defect came after 4,000 people filled his mailbag with demands to do so after his suspension from the Conservative Party for remarks about Sadiq Khan.
The Ashfield MP said he’d done “a lot of soul-searching” over the past year, but said his ability to speak his mind and speak on behalf of his constituents had been more important than retaining his position in the Tory Party.
Mr Anderson doubled down on his comments about Sadiq Khan, saying he would not apologise, and that Reform UK had offered him the chance “to speak out in Parliament on behalf of people around the country who feel that they are not being listened to”.
He provocatively said: “All I want is my country back”, and conceded that while it may sound offensive to “the liberal elite” it is not offensive to his friends, family or constituents.
Asked by this newspaper what his message is to his former Tory MP colleagues thinking of following suit, Mr Anderson said that while it’s a “sad day”, they must be brave and cross the floor with him.
He said: “My message to my colleagues is, look, it’s a sad day I’m leaving my colleagues, but if I’m honest, this time next year they’ll be sat on the same benches as me.”
Mr Tice added that Mr Anderson is a “fantastic champion of the Red Wall” and boasted that Reform UK is going to “replace the Tories as the alternative in the Red Wall”.
Mr Anderson also told the Express that despite reports of previous offers, no money exchanged hands in return for his defection.
The message from Mr Anderson to wavering Conservative MPs comes as Reform UK sources suggest that up to nine further Tories could cross the line.
GB News reported that nine MPs are “in advanced talks to join Reform UK”.
David Campbell Bannerman, former Tory MEP, repeated this claim and warned that Mr Anderson’s defection is a “wake up for the Conservatives”.
He ominously added: “It’s over for Rishi Sunak”.
Asked whether more Tory MPs will defect to Reform UK, Richard Tice said: “Let’s wait and see”.
“But unless there’s an election called in the next few days – and if it is Prime Minister we’re ready, 630 candidates up and down England, Scotland and Wales – then yes I would expect some more to follow.”
This morning the New Conservatives faction, made up of many Tory MPs previously sympathetic to Mr Anderson, said they “regret Lee’s decision” but accused the Conservative Party itself of creating the situation.
A statement by Miriam Cates and Danny Kruger said: “The responsibility for Lee’s defection sits with the Conservative Party. We have failed to hold together the coalition of voters who gave us an 80 seat majority in 2019”.
“Those voters – in our traditional heartlands in the Red Wall seats like Ashfield – backed us because we offered an optimistic, patriotic, no-nonsense Conservatism.
“Our poll numbers show what the public think of our record since 2019. We cannot pretend any longer that ‘the plan is working’. We need to change course urgently.”
However they did warn that supporting Reform UK “makes a conservative Britain more likely”.
Tory MP Mark Pritchard said the door remains open to Mr Anderson should he wish to return to the Conservative Party.
He said: “He’s a man of principle… Many of those views I share”.
