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Lee Anderson has said that Conservative MPs have privately offered him support after his support over his comments about Sadiq Khan.The Ashfield MP received widespread criticism and had the Tory whip suspended after claiming the London mayor is being controlled by “Islamists”.Mr Anderson told GB News that he has had WhatsApp messages from colleagues in the House of Commons but would not reveal their identities.When asked if he had support from Tory MPs, Anderson said: “Yeah, there’s no Labour MPs. They’re calling for me to be stripped of the whip forever.” More

Transport Secretary Mark Harper refused to label Lee Anderson’s comments about Sadiq Khan as “racist”.Mr Anderson’s suspension following his comments about Mr Khan has today sparked wider debate over Tory Islamophobia.Sky News presenter Kay Burley asked Mr Harper repeatedly if Mr Anderson’s comments were “racist” during Monday’s show (26 February)Mr Harper replied: “What he said was wrong”.“You say it was wrong. Was it racist?”, the presenter repeated.Failing to answer yes or no, Mr Harper replied: “What he said was wrong and wasn’t true. He shouldn’t have said them.” More

Lee Anderson’s comments about Sadiq Khan were “unambiguously racist, Islamophobic, divisive and damaging,” Labour’s party chair has said.Anneliese Dodds told Sky News on Monday (26 February) she has written to the Conservative Party chairs seven times over the past three years calling for them to take action against Islamophobia in the party.The former Tory deputy chair lost the Conservative whip after failing to apologise for claiming “Islamists” had “got control” of the London mayor and the capital city.The prime minister “acted when it appeared no apology was going to be forthcoming,” Dodds added. More

Rishi Sunak denied he is ignoring the concerns of Lincolnshire locals regarding the use of RAF Scampton as accommodation for asylum seekers.The prime minister was repeatedly challenged on the issue during a BBC Radio Lincolnshire interview on Monday, 26 February.“What I’m trying to do is actually stop the boats from coming in the first place because that is the only way to fundamentally solve this issue,” Mr Sunak said.It comes after Home Office figures show 290 people crossed the Channel in five boats on Sunday, suggesting an average of around 58 people per boat – the highest number of people making the journey in a single day for more than a month. More

Rishi Sunak condemned Lee Anderson’s comments on Sadiq Khan after the MP had the whip suspended.The prime minister said the Conservative former deputy chairman’s remarks that sparked an Islamophobia row “weren’t acceptable, they were wrong”, as he denied the party has Islamophobic tendencies during an interview on BBC Radio York on Monday (26 February).Mr Anderson lost the Tory whip after failing to apologise for claiming “Islamists” had “got control” of the London mayor.”Words matter and his words weren’t acceptable and they were wrong, and that’s why the whip was suspended,” Mr Sunak told Georgey Spanwick.”It’s important that we maintain high standards.” More

Oliver Dowden has suggested Lee Anderson used the “wrong” words in an anti-Muslim rant about Sadiq Khan, but has refused to answer if the Conservative Party regards him as “racist”.The deputy prime minister said Mr Anderson was given the chance to apologise for claiming the London mayor is controlled by “Islamists” and would have kept the Tory whip if he had, but was eventually suspended for refusing to say sorry.“Words do matter and he was given that opportunity to apologise and he didn’t,” Mr Dowden said of the MP, refusing to answer if the party regards him as racist. More

Grant Shapps has warned of “fatal” consequences if western countries give up on Ukraine.”The rest of the world – other regimes – will be looking at this and saying, ‘does the West just get bored after a couple of years?'” the defence secretary said, speaking to BBC Breakfast on the second anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion.“If we do, that will be fatal… it matters to use because the world won’t be safe unless we stop a tyrant like [Vladimir] Putin.” More