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Lee Anderson (British politician)

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Lee Anderson
MP
Official portrait, 2019
Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party
Incumbent
Assumed office
7 February 2023
LeaderRishi Sunak
Preceded byMatt Vickers
Member of Parliament
for Ashfield
Incumbent
Assumed office
12 December 2019
Preceded byGloria De Piero
Majority5,733 (11.7%)
Personal details
Born (1967-01-06) 6 January 1967 (age 57)
Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, England
Political partyConservative (2018–present)
Other political
affiliations		Labour (until 2018)
SpouseSinead
Children2
EducationAshfield School
Websitewww.leeanderson.org.uk

Lee Anderson (born 6 January 1967)[1] is a British Conservative politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ashfield in Nottinghamshire since 2019.

He has been the Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party since February 2023. Prior to his parliamentary career, he was a coal miner and worked for Citizens Advice, before serving as Labour councillor in Ashfield from 2015. He defected to the Conservative Party in 2018 and served as a councillor in Mansfield from 2019 to 2021 alongside his duties as an MP.

Early life and career

Anderson was born in Nottinghamshire, attending John Davies Primary School and Ashfield School.[2] His father was a coal miner. Anderson worked as a coal miner for ten years, and then volunteered and eventually worked for Citizens Advice for another decade.[3][4] Afterwards, he worked in hostels supporting homeless care leavers.[5]

Local political career

Anderson was a longtime member of the Labour Party and was elected as a councillor in the 2015 Ashfield District Council election, representing Huthwaite and Brierley ward.[6] He was suspended in February 2018 by the local branch of the Labour Party after receiving a community protection warning by the council for using boulders to block members of the Traveller community from "setting up camp at a site in the area".[7] The following month, Anderson defected to the Conservative Party, which he stated was a response to the "takeover" of the Labour Party by the "hard-left", particularly through the left-wing political organisation Momentum.[8] He was elected as a Conservative councillor on Mansfield District Council, representing the Oakham ward between 2019 and 2021.[9]

Parliamentary career

2019 election campaign

In July 2019, Anderson was selected as the Conservative candidate for Ashfield for the 2019 general election.[10] He supported Brexit in the 2016 UK EU membership referendum.[11] Anderson campaigned on this as well as on education, crime, healthcare, and halving the foreign aid budget.[12]

During the campaign, he was criticised for staging a door knock while he was being filmed for a report by Channel 4 News reporter Michael Crick. Prior to the visit, Anderson was recorded on his microphone instructing a man to "make out you know who I am, that you know I'm the candidate but not that you are a friend".[13] Will Moy of Full Fact said: "Misleading campaign techniques from parties and candidates won't only harm those who are caught out, but could damage voter confidence in our political system."[14] Anderson criticised "nuisance tenants" in a council estate who were "making people's lives a complete misery". He suggested they should be evicted into tents in a field to pick vegetables. The Labour Party criticised Anderson's comments and compared his idea to "forced labour camps".[15]

Anderson was one of three Conservative Party candidates investigated by the party over claims of antisemitism during the election campaign.[16] The investigation was opened on the grounds that he was an active member of a Facebook group in which other members supported Tommy Robinson and promoted George Soros conspiracy theories.[17][18] The results of the investigation were not made public, but Anderson later attended online training sessions by the Antisemitism Policy Trust charity to improve his understanding of antisemitism. He apologised for being a member of the group, and reported that he had left the group when the initial allegations were made.[19]

Anderson was elected as the MP for Ashfield at the 2019 general election with a majority of 5,733.[20] The seat had previously been represented by Labour's Gloria De Piero, who stood down at that election.[21] He had previously worked as her office manager for five years.[22] Anderson was the first Conservative to represent the constituency since the 1977 by-election.[23]

2019–present parliamentary term

He is a member of the Common Sense Group, an informal group of Conservative MPs which formed in the summer of 2020.[24] Following the publication of an interim report on the connections between colonialism and National Trust properties, including links with historic slavery,[25] Anderson was among the signatories of a letter by the group in The Telegraph in November 2020. In the letter, the signatories accused the National Trust of being "coloured by cultural Marxist dogma".[24] In response, the All-Party Parliamentary Group Against Antisemitism issued a briefing paper to all Conservative MPs warning against using the term "cultural Marxism", as it may "inadvertently" act as a "dog-whistle for the far-right".[26]

In the same month, Anderson attended a breakfast meeting at Downing Street with Prime Minister Boris Johnson and five other Conservative MPs. He later tested positive for COVID-19 and those who attended subsequently self-isolated.[27]

Anderson announced via social media in June 2021 that he would not watch any England national football team matches during the Euro 2020 tournament in protest at the players' decision to take the knee (a symbolic gesture against racism)[28] before matches. He stated his opposition was because he felt that the action risked "alienating traditional supporters" and it supported Black Lives Matter, which in his opinion was a "political movement whose core principles aim to undermine our very way of life".[29]

The same month, in a debate on the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, Anderson accused the Traveller community in Ashfield of thievery, stating, "...the Gypsy encampments that we are talking about in places such as Ashfield are not the traditional, old-fashioned Gypsies sat there playing the mandolin, flogging lucky heather and telling fortunes. The Travellers I am talking about are more likely to be seen leaving your garden shed at 3 o'clock in the morning, probably with your lawnmower and half of your tools. That happens every single time they come to Ashfield".[30][31]

In November 2021, Anderson voiced his support for offshore processing of asylum applications in the Falkland Islands and lobbied an immigration minister on the subject.[32] In May 2022, he said that the majority of migrants crossing the English Channel illegally were economic migrants. When told that the Home Office had concluded that the majority were refugees, he blamed the "old failing asylum system" and accused the migrants of lying to falsely seek asylum.[31][33] Anderson in a later interview in February 2023 commented when asked on how he would respond to the small boats migrant crisis, "I'd send them straight back the same day. I'd put them on a Royal Navy frigate or whatever and sail it to Calais, have a standoff. And they'd just stop coming".[34]

Anderson was one of 99 Conservative MPs to vote against Covid passes in England in December 2021.[35][36]

In May 2022, Anderson was criticised by opposition politicians and the food poverty campaigner Jack Monroe for suggesting in parliament that there was not a "massive" need for food banks in the UK, and their use was related to a lack of teaching on budgeting and cooking. Anderson invited opposition MPs to visit a food bank in his constituency, where he said that meals could be made for about 30p a day, and which also provided a mandatory teaching course to its users.[37] For these comments, he was given the nickname "30p Lee" by his critics.[38]

The founder of the food bank, Simon Martin, commented that the teaching course was optional, and stated that "people do know how to cook, obviously, because people have been eating and surviving before we've been intervening with food parcels", but that providing free guidance on economic cooking may help. The 30p figure came from a batch-cooking session made by a team led by a professional chef which stretched an initial £50.24 shop into 172 meals. Martin commented, "It illustrates the point you can produce healthy meals [cheaply] but it's not in the capacity of every family, and not easy to replicate in every household. It presupposes you're buying in bulk, cooking with big catering trays and have the storage".[39][40] Anderson later commented via social media that his comments had been misinterpreted.[41] He said: "I did not say poor people can't cook or there is no need for food banks."[42]

Food journalist and activist Jack Monroe hinted at legal action against Anderson after he commented in an interview that "She's taking money off some of the most vulnerable people in society and making an absolute fortune on [sic] the back of people".[43] Monroe later instructed lawyers to start a claim against Anderson.[44]

The following month, Anderson said that Prime Minister Boris Johnson was the victim of "a witch hunt led by the BBC", shortly after the results of a Conservative vote of confidence in Johnson's leadership was announced.[45] In July 2022, Anderson withdrew his support for Johnson over his handling of the Chris Pincher scandal.[46]

Anderson backed Kemi Badenoch during the July 2022 Conservative Party leadership election.[47] After Badenoch was eliminated, he supported Liz Truss, who was ultimately successful.[48]

In October 2022, Anderson replaced Esther McVey as chair of the Blue Collar Conservative caucus.[49] After becoming chair, he called for the party to focus on policing and immigration policies, and lowering taxes.[50] He was criticised by Labour MP Chris Bryant for making alleged transphobic comments about the comedian Eddie Izzard in an interview in October 2022, and Ashfield Independent Councillor David Hennigan reported Anderson to the Metropolitan Police. The Met commented that it would take no further action, as "no offences had been identified". Anderson described Hennigan's report as a "waste of police time".[51][52]

Anderson was appointed as Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party in February 2023.[53] In a radio interview before his appointment, Anderson said he would support the return of capital punishment where the perpetrators are clearly identifiable. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said neither he nor the government shared Anderson's stance.[54]

In February 2023, The Guardian reported that Michael Hollis, who runs a food bank charity, is pursuing a libel claim against Anderson. Hollis alleges that Anderson accused him in a Facebook post of exchanging cash in brown envelopes over a planning application.[44]

Personal life

Anderson is married to Sinead,[55] a Conservative councillor on Mansfield District Council who has represented the ward of Eakring since 2019.[56] She has cystic fibrosis, and has previously received a double lung transplant for the condition.[57][58] He also has two sons from a previous marriage.[55] He was a single parent for seventeen years and, at one point, resorted to selling his car to make ends meet.[4]

References

  1. ^ Brunskill, Ian (19 March 2020). The Times guide to the House of Commons 2019 : the definitive record of Britain's historic 2019 General Election. p. 84. ISBN 978-0-00-839258-1. OCLC 1129682574. Archived from the original on 9 November 2021. Retrieved 9 June 2021.
  2. ^ Hill, Henry (21 January 2020). "Boris' Boys and Girls: The Conservative Commons Intake of 2019". Conservative Home. Archived from the original on 27 March 2020. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
  3. ^ "Lee Anderson: Who is the new Tory deputy chairman?". BBC News. 9 February 2023.
  4. ^ a b "Lee Anderson: 'Food bank users are often wasting money on fags, booze and Sky TV'". The Telegraph. 22 January 2023.(subscription required)
  5. ^ "Who is Lee Anderson, the pro-death penalty Tory deputy chairman?". The Times. 10 February 2023.(subscription required)
  6. ^ "District Ward Results 2015". Ashfield District Council. Archived from the original on 5 July 2022. Retrieved 15 January 2020.
  7. ^ "Councillor suspended by Ashfield Labour Group". Chad. 14 February 2018. Archived from the original on 5 July 2022. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
  8. ^ "Nottinghamshire Labour councillors quit to join Tories". BBC News. 20 March 2018. Archived from the original on 5 July 2022. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
  9. ^ Spridgeon, Dale (17 March 2021). "Ashfield MP Lee Anderson quits as Mansfield councillor". Chad. Archived from the original on 5 July 2022. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
  10. ^ "Ashfield selects it's [sic] next MP Candidate". Ashfield & Mansfield Conservatives. 5 July 2019. Archived from the original on 5 July 2022. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
  11. ^ "Lee Anderson MP's Weekly Column". Lee Anderson. 25 October 2021. Archived from the original on 5 July 2022. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
  12. ^ Bond, Daniel (16 December 2019). "Meet the new MPs". PoliticsHome. Archived from the original on 17 June 2020. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
  13. ^ "Ashfield candidate faces criticism over 'fake door knock'". BBC News. 26 November 2019. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  14. ^ Ashfield candidate faces criticism over 'fake door knock' BBC. 26 November 2019
  15. ^ "'Nuisance' council tenants 'should live in tents' says Ashfield Tory candidate". BBC News. 19 November 2019. Archived from the original on 21 May 2022. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
  16. ^ "General election 2019: Tories probe candidates over anti-Semitism claims". BBC News. 7 December 2019. Archived from the original on 30 December 2019. Retrieved 15 January 2020.
  17. ^ Proctor, Kate (7 December 2019). "Tories investigate three candidates over alleged antisemitism". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 6 January 2020. Retrieved 15 January 2020.
  18. ^ Mendel, Jack (13 December 2019). "Two Tories win seats despite investigations over antisemitism". Jewish News. Retrieved 15 January 2020.
  19. ^ Harpin, Lee (7 January 2021). "Two Conservative MPs receive training on antisemitism". The Jewish Chronicle. Archived from the original on 5 January 2022. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
  20. ^ "Last election result for Lee Anderson". UK Parliament. Archived from the original on 12 June 2021. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
  21. ^ Stewart, Heather (2 November 2019). "Labour MP Gloria De Piero urges women to change parliament". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 3 November 2019. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
  22. ^ "Labour frontbencher Gloria de Piero's former office manager to stand against her for the Tories". PoliticsHome. 3 July 2019. Archived from the original on 26 May 2022. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
  23. ^ Chakelian, Anoosh; Hill, Phil (23 May 2022). "The inside story of a Tory MP's 30p meals – which cost £50 up front". New Statesman. Archived from the original on 26 May 2022. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
  24. ^ a b Bland, Archie; Elgot, Jessica (11 November 2020). "Dissatisfied Tory MPs flock to ERG-inspired pressure groups". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 2 June 2022. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  25. ^ "We've published our report into colonialism and historic slavery". National Trust. 16 September 2020. Archived from the original on 15 June 2022. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  26. ^ Harpin, Lee (24 November 2020). "Tory MPs and peers warned over use of the term 'cultural Marxism'". The Jewish Chronicle. Archived from the original on 24 November 2020. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
  27. ^ "Covid-19: Boris Johnson and six Tory MPs self-isolating after No 10 meeting". BBC News. 16 November 2020. Archived from the original on 15 June 2022. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  28. ^ "What's taking the knee and why is it important?". BBC News. 13 October 2021. Archived from the original on 15 June 2022. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  29. ^ Murray, Jessica (6 June 2021). "Tory MP to boycott England games in row over taking the knee". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 13 May 2022. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  30. ^ "Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill (Tenth sitting)". Hansard. 8 June 2021. Archived from the original on 20 June 2022. Retrieved 20 June 2022.
  31. ^ a b "Five controversial things Ashfield MP Lee Anderson has done". ITV News. 12 May 2022. Archived from the original on 20 June 2022. Retrieved 20 June 2022.
  32. ^ Syal, Rajeev (21 November 2021). "Tory MPs suggest sending migrants to UK to the Falklands". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 20 June 2022. Retrieved 20 June 2022.
  33. ^ "Preventing Crime and Delivering Justice Volume 714: debated on Wednesday 11 May 2022". Hansard. 11 May 2022. Retrieved 20 June 2022.
  34. ^ Walker, Peter (9 February 2023). "Tory vice-chair backed death penalty and naval 'standoff' in Channel". The Guardian.
  35. ^ Clarke, Seán (14 December 2021). "How did your MP vote on the new Covid restrictions?". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 15 June 2022. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  36. ^ "MPs back Covid passes in England despite huge Tory rebellion". BBC News. 15 December 2021. Archived from the original on 21 February 2022. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  37. ^ Walker, Peter (11 May 2022). "Tory MP blames food poverty on lack of cooking skills". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 12 May 2022. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  38. ^ Plummer, Kate. "Why is Tory MP Lee Anderson called '30p Lee?". Indy100.
  39. ^ Chakelian, Anoosh; Hill, Phil Clarke (23 May 2022). "The inside story of a Tory MP's 30p meals – which cost £50 up front". New Statesman. Archived from the original on 26 May 2022. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
  40. ^ "Tory MP Lee Anderson suggests batch cooking after blaming food bank use on lack of budgeting skills". ITV News. 12 May 2022. Archived from the original on 18 May 2022. Retrieved 18 May 2022.
  41. ^ Searle, Josh (12 May 2022). "Tory MP Lee Anderson doubles down on food bank users 'cannot cook properly' comments". Telegraph & Argus. Archived from the original on 5 July 2022. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
  42. ^ "Tory MP Lee Anderson branded out of touch for food bank remarks". BBC News. 11 May 2022.
  43. ^ Townsend, Mark (15 May 2022). "Jack Monroe to sue MP after he says 'she makes fortune from the poor'". The Observer. Archived from the original on 15 May 2022. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  44. ^ a b Grierson, Jamie (13 February 2023). "Tory vice-chair Lee Anderson faces libel claim over bribery allegations". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
  45. ^ Blake, Keimae (8 June 2022). "Reaction after MP Lee Anderson accused BBC of Boris Johnson 'witch hunt'". Nottingham Post. Archived from the original on 18 June 2022. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
  46. ^ "Ashfield Conservative MP Lee Anderson withdraws support for prime minister Boris Johnson". ITV News. 6 July 2022. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  47. ^ Malnick, Edward (9 July 2022). "Kemi Badenoch: 'My late father taught me about responsibility'". The Telegraph. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  48. ^ "Next Tory Leader. Which MP is backing whom – the updated list. Truss on 149, Sunak on 132. The Foreign Secretary's lead amongst MPs grows". ConservativeHome. 25 August 2022. Retrieved 28 September 2022.
  49. ^ Burton-Cartledge, Phil (25 October 2022). "As Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak Won't Change the Course for the Tories". Jacobin.
  50. ^ Turner, Camilla (23 December 2022). "'Blue collar' Tory MP: 'Levelling up will not keep the Red Wall Conservative – we need lower taxes'". The Telegraph.(subscription required)
  51. ^ Adu, Aletha; Allegretti, Aubrey (26 October 2022). "Tory MP under fire for transphobic comments about Eddie Izzard". The Guardian.
  52. ^ Moore, Joel (28 October 2022). "Police will take no action over Nottinghamshire MP Lee Anderson's Eddie Izzard remarks". Nottingham Post.
  53. ^ Walker, Peter (7 February 2023). "Lee Anderson: new Tory deputy chair is one-man controversy machine". The Guardian.
  54. ^ "Lee Anderson: New Tory deputy chairman would support return of death penalty". BBC News. 9 February 2023.
  55. ^ a b Hope, Christopher (22 January 2023). "Lee Anderson: 'Food banks have become an industry now: it's a scandal'". The Telegraph.(subscription required)
  56. ^ "Sinead Anderson". Mansfield District Council. Archived from the original on 9 June 2022. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
  57. ^ Topping, Andrew (17 November 2020). "Lee Anderson speaks out after Covid-19 test forces Prime Minister into isolation". Nottingham Post. Archived from the original on 15 May 2022. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
  58. ^ Topping, Andrew (16 July 2019). "Mansfield councillor with cystic fibrosis relives moment she met mother of her organ donor". Chad. Archived from the original on 26 May 2022. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
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Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament
for Ashfield
2019–present 		Incumbent


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