The Lee Anderson Latest Has Gone Full Alan Partridge
The Lee Anderson saga that has dominated British politics in recent days has taken an unlikely twist.
Anderson had the Tory whip removed over the weekend after he chose not to apologise for saying “Islamists” had “control” over London’s mayor, Sadiq Khan, who is Muslim.
The incident has escalated into a major row over how the government has handled the issue involving the former Conservative deputy chairman, and raised questions about whether Anderson might defect to Reform UK, formerly known as the Brexit Party.
On Tuesday, GB News reported Anderson has held private one-to-one talks with Richard Tice, leader of Reform UK.
BREAKING on @GBNEWS now,
Former Tory deputy chairman Lee Anderson held private 'one to one' talks with Richard Tice, the leader of the Reform UK party, at a Holiday Inn hotel, at junction 28 of the M1 in South Normanton, Derbyshire on Sunday, 24 hours after he lost the Tory whip.— Christopher Hope📝 (@christopherhope) February 27, 2024
GB News political editor, Christopher Hope, reported the summit took place “at a Holiday Inn hotel, at junction 28 of the M1 in South Normanton, Derbyshire on Sunday, 24 hours after he lost the Tory whip”.
The detailled location had many people on X thinking the same thing – specifically, they recalled the I’m Alan Partridge series set at The Linton Travel Tavern, where Steve Coogan’s character is faced with celebrity purgatory as he pleads for his talk show to be renewed while living “equidistant between Norwich and London”.
https://t.co/x1SDrOAOQjpic.twitter.com/DbqXZwvWlE
— Sam Freedman (@Samfr) February 27, 2024
From the outside it has the appearance of a 2 star hotel but then you go inside and voila! it’s most definitely 3 star. https://t.co/UGUGzECkxxpic.twitter.com/6D2xTVRJCM
— Calgie (@christiancalgie) February 27, 2024
https://t.co/tvG9o1V8fmpic.twitter.com/LAZbSFmq0i
— Robert Hutton (@RobDotHutton) February 27, 2024
https://t.co/r4rcqgw8gIpic.twitter.com/nLbBv36NB7
— Leigh Jones (@leighsus) February 27, 2024
https://t.co/tUiL5woq4wpic.twitter.com/oFne3Qs76B
— Aditya Chakrabortty (@chakrabortty) February 27, 2024
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— Mo' (@mocent0) February 27, 2024
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— Chris Cook (@xtophercook) February 27, 2024
Earlier, Anderson said prime minister Rishi Sunak made a “mistake” in stripping him of the Conservative whip when speaking to Channel 5 News.
On Monday, pressed during a GB News interview on whether he would join Reform UK, Anderson declined to comment but said he had “been on a political journey”.
He said: “You’ll say Lee Anderson rules out/doesn’t rule out joining the Reform party, so I’m making no comment on my future.”
GB News pays Anderson a £100,000 salary, on top of his £86,584 MP pay, to present a show on its network.