Lee Anderson latest: What did the Tory MP say to mayor Sadiq Khan as Islamophobic row deepens?

Lee Anderson has threatened Rishi Sunak with defection to Reform UK as the row over his “Islamophobic” comments deepens.

As questions continue about Mr Anderson’s future in the Tory Party, the defiant Red Wall MP warned Mr Sunak: “I will be standing at the next election.”

The comments came in an interview with GB News in which Mr Anderson declined to rule out switching allegiances to the Nigel Farage-founded Reform UK.

In refusing to apologise today for his anti-Muslim rant about Sadiq Khan, which saw him suspended from the Conservative Party, Lee Anderson shows little sign of wanting to be cowed – and no desire at all to be a fading prime minister’s poodle, says Joe Murphy.

Read Joe’s piece in full here:

Michael Tomlinson said he thought Suella Braverman had been wrong to say Islamists were in charge of Britain but added she should not lose the whip.

Asked about Ms Braverman’s article in the Telegraph last week, the illegal migration minister said: “I don’t think Suella was right.

“She’s the former home secretary, she was responding actually to events that had happened in the House of Commons, or at least in part that had happened in the House of Commons last Wednesday when a debate was had in relation to Gaza and in relation to peace in Gaza.”

Asked what the difference was between her comments and Lee Anderson’s, Mr Tomlinson said: “I think one’s more of a personal attack, but if you’re asking me in relation to Suella and her article that was directly in response to that debate that we had in the chamber of the House of Commons last Wednesday, and as I say I think the speaker called that wrong.”

Asked whether she should have the whip withdrawn, he said: “No, I think we are blessed to live in the country that we do. We have an open and tolerant society, I think that is one of the joys that makes Britain and our country what it is. That is something that I think we should celebrate as politicians.”

The former Post Office chair who claims he was advised by officials to delay compensation payments to victims of the Horizon scandal will appear before the business and trade committee later this morning.

Henry Staunton, who has been embroiled in a public spat with Kemi Badenoch, the business secretary, over the allegations will give evidence to the committee from 11am.

Alan Bates, the wronged subpostmaster who was central to the ITV drama that quickened the government’s response to the scandal, will also give evidence to the inquiry again following an appearance yesterday.

Liam Byrne, the Labour chair of the committee, told Playbook that he intends to ask Mr Staunton if he still stands by his claims. Ms Badenoch is abroad for a conference and will not attend. More details about the row and who said what below:

Michael Tomlinson denied that ministers had been instructed not to use the word “Islamophobic” after again failing to say whether he thought that was an accurate description of Lee Anderson’s comments.

Asked on ITV’s Good Morning Britain five times whether he thought Mr Anderson’s comments were Islamophobic, the illegal migration Minister said: “It was wrong.”

He added: “I don’t think I’m here to come on and talk about definitions. I’m very clear that the action was wrong, that the words were wrong, and that as a result there was swift, robust and firm action and that was the right course of action.”

Asked directly whether it was the case that ministers had been instructed to avoid using the term, he said: “No, it’s not.”

Michael Tomlinson was unable to say why he thought Lee Anderson’s comments about Sadiq Khan were wrong.

Asked six times by LBC host Nick Ferrari why it was necessary to withdraw the whip, the illegal migration minister would only say: “It was wrong.”

Mr Ferrari asked three times why Mr Anderson’s comments were wrong, and three times whether they were Islamophobic before stopping the interview, saying: “Michael Tomlinson is a minister of state for illegal migration, unable to answer a question.”

Labour leader Keir Starmer continues to come under pressure over claims that he pressured the Commons speaker into accepting his party’s amendment last week in a row over a ceasefire in Gaza.

According to The Times, Penny Mordaunt, the Tory Commons leader, believes Mr Starmer’s push for the speaker to break with precedent was a “breach of privilege” and could move to have him investigated by the privileges committee.