A top Conservative MP sparked a furious backlash from the Labour Party on Friday as he claimed Islamists had “got control” of Sadiq Khan and London.
Lee Anderson, a former deputy chairman of the Tory Party, claimed the capital had been “taken over” following a wave of weekly pro-Palestinian protests over the war in Gaza.
Mr Anderson was responding to an article for The Telegraph by Suella Braverman, the former home secretary, in which she wrote “the Islamists, the extremists and the anti-Semites are in charge” of the country.
She made the remarks after the Commons Speaker sparked anger over a Gaza ceasefire vote by allowing a vote on a Labour amendment, leading to accusations that he had given in to extremists.
In an interview with GB News, Mr Anderson said: “I don’t actually believe that these Islamists have got control of our country, but what I do believe is that they’ve got control of Khan, they’ve got control of London.
“He’s actually given our capital city away to his mates… If you let Labour in through the back door, expect more of this, expect our cities to be taken over by these lunatics.”
Wes Streeting, the shadow health secretary, said: “Divisive and dangerous. The Conservatives have gone beyond the dog-whistle playbook of previous mayoral elections to outright racism and Islamophobia. Enough is enough.”
Florence Eshalomi, the shadow minister for democracy, added: “I hope that Conservative Campaign Headquarters will look into this urgently.”
A London Labour source said: “This sort of vile Islamophobia is exactly how the Tories campaigned against Sadiq Khan in 2016. Surely they will not tolerate it this time round?”
The Home Secretary has rejected Mrs Braverman’s claim that Islamists are in charge of Britain.
William Turner is a seasoned U.K. correspondent with a deep understanding of domestic affairs. With a passion for British politics and culture, he provides insightful analysis and comprehensive coverage of events within the United Kingdom.
