Lee Anderson was not 'intending' to be Islamophobic when he claimed 'Islamists' had control of Sadiq Khan, Deputy PM says

Oliver Dowden defended his former colleague despite a universal backlash.

Lee Anderson was not “intending” to be Islamophobic when he claimed “Islamists” had “got control” of London and its mayor Sadiq Khan, the Deputy Prime Minister has claimed.

Oliver Dowden said the former deputy Tory chairman would have kept the whip if he’d apologised, and also defended former home secretary Suella Braverman, who recently claimed the UK is “sleepwalking into a ghettoised society” with “Islamists” in charge.

Speaking on Sunday morning, Mr Dowden insisted “worries about language” should not stop elected politicians calling out “threats” to “intimidate Jews and … debate in our own Parliament.”

Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden insisted Lee Anderson had not meant to be islamaphobic.

Appearing on Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg, Mr Dowden refused to say whether he thinks Mr Anderson’s words were racist, conceding only that he understands why they “caused offence”.

Asked whether Mr Anderson would have kept the whip if he had not apologised, he said: “Yes.”

Business minister Nus Ghani and senior backbencher Sir Sajid Javid had been among Tory figures joining a growing chorus of criticism from across the political divide over the remarks.

Speaking on Sky News’ Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips, he added: “When it comes to the wording used by individual Conservatives, I said I disagreed with the language used by Lee Anderson,”

“I don’t believe that the language used by Suella Braverman has crossed the line whereby she should apologise for it. No, I don’t.”

Mr Anderson lost the Tory whip on Saturday for refusing to apologise after he said Labour London mayor Mr Khan had “given our capital city away to his mates”.

Mr Dowden said Rishi Sunak had taken action because the comments were “wrong” and an apology from Mr Anderson was not forthcoming.

Mr Anderson said he accepted that Mr Sunak and Chief Whip Simon Hart had been been put in a “difficult position” and left with “no option” but to discipline him.

“However, I will continue to support the Government’s efforts to call out extremism in all its forms – be that antisemitism or Islamophobia,” he said in a statement.

Mr Anderson, a standard bearer for the Tory right, will now sit as an Independent unless he defects to another party that chooses to offer him its backing.