Lee Anderson's defection shows Tory scaremongering isn't working
Express.co.ukMar 11
Ex-Tory MP Lee Anderson Defects to Reform UK
Image copyright: Leon Neal/Staff/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
UK MP Lee Anderson announced his defection from the Conservative Party to Reform UK on Monday morning. He claimed that his new party "puts the country first" and criticized parliament for failing to "understand" the British population.
Anderson — a former Conservative deputy chairman — was suspended from the party in February after refusing to apologize for telling GB News that Islamists had "control" of London's Labour Mayor Sadiq Khan.
The Spin
Establishment-critical narrative
The acquisition of Anderson is a major advance for Reform UK and, despite previous comments criticizing the party, the MP is destined to be warmly received by its supporters. Formerly a symbol of Tory success within the Red Wall, Anderson's defection is yet another nail in the coffin for the Conservatives.
Pro-establishment narrative
Despite admitting his words against the London Mayor were clumsy, a refusal to apologize meant the writing was on the wall for Anderson's future as a Tory party member. While polling shows that Reform UK's popularity has had some effect on the performance of the Conservatives, the fact remains that they are effectively a pressure group unlikely to achieve any significant results at the next general election.
Nerd narrative
There's a 94% chance that Labour will have a majority in the House of Commons after the next UK General Election, according to the Metaculus prediction community.