Lee Anderson has been no stranger to controversy since coming into the Home of Commons in 2019.
Listed below are among the rows the Ashfield MP has been caught up in…
Taking the knee
Forward of the 2020 European Championships, Mr Anderson vowed to boycott England video games throughout the soccer match because of the facet’s choice to ‘take the knee’ earlier than matches.
He mentioned by performing the anti-racism gesture, which had change into linked to the Black Lives Matter motion, the gamers had been supporting a ‘political motion’ and risked alienating ‘conventional supporters’.
Mr Anderson watered down his boycott of England video games when Gareth Southgate’s facet reached the ultimate.
He revealed he would enable himself to maintain tabs on the rating through his cellphone.
Meals banks
Mr Anderson sparked fury final yr after suggesting Britons are solely utilizing meals banks as a result of they ‘cannot price range’ and ‘cannot prepare dinner a meal from scratch’.
He additionally claimed there was not a ‘huge use for meals banks’ in Britain.
Following criticism of his remarks, Mr Anderson provided ‘proof’ that meals might be cooked for 30p every. This noticed him dubbed ’30p Lee’.
Assist for the dying penalty
Shortly after he was appointed Tory deputy chairman by Rishi Sunak this yr, Mr Anderson confronted a storm of criticism over his help for the return of the dying penalty.
‘No one has ever dedicated against the law after being executed,’ Mr Anderson instructed the Spectator journal.
‘You already know that, do not you? 100% success fee.’
Downing Road was compelled to make clear that Mr Anderson doesn’t converse for the Authorities in his occasion position.
Row with Recreation of Thrones star’s dad
In April, Mr Anderson instructed the daddy of Recreation of Thrones star Rose Leslie to ‘come exterior’ in a bust-up in Parliament.
He was claimed to have been ‘aggressive’ in the direction of Sebastian Leslie, whose daughter performed Ygritte within the hit TV sequence, throughout a row in a Home of Commons eating room.
The altercation was mentioned to have been prompted by the expulsion of North West Leicestershire MP Andrew Bridgen from the Conservative Celebration.
However Mr Anderson mentioned it had been Mr Bridgen who was ‘impolite and aggressive’ throughout the altercation.
MPs’ second jobs
In March, Mr Anderson was revealed to be incomes £100,000 a yr from his TV position with GB Information – lower than 18 months after he had blasted MPs who want ‘an additional £100,000 a yr’ on high of their parliamentary wage.
Within the wake of the Owen Paterson lobbying row, Mr Anderson had mentioned: ‘In the event you want an additional £100,000 a yr on high then it’s best to actually be searching for one other job.’
He later signed as much as GB Information the place he devotes eight hours every week to his position as a presenter and contributor.
The Commons sleaze watchdog not too long ago launched a probe into Mr Anderson’s filming of a promo video for his weekly present from Parliament’s roof.
MPs are topic to strict guidelines over the taxpayer-funded companies offered to them by the Commons in help of their parliamentary actions.
Eddie Izzard
Mr Anderson got here beneath fireplace final October when he questioned whether or not feminine illustration would ‘enhance or lower’ if Eddie Izzard was elected as an MP.
He claimed he ‘wouldn’t observe him into the bogs’ if Izzard, who identifies as a lady with she/her pronouns, got here to Parliament.
On the time, Izzard was making an attempt to change into Labour’s candidate within the Sheffield Central constituency.
Mr Anderson was accused of constructing transphobic feedback.
‘F*** off again to France’
In August, Mr Anderson instructed asylum seekers refusing to board the Bibby Stockholm barge they need to ‘f*** off again to France’.
He delivered his blast after 20 individuals declined to get on the vessel in Portland Port, Dorset.
Attorneys claimed some had a ‘extreme worry of water’ after traumatic experiences.
‘If they do not like barges then they need to f*** off again to France,’ an irate Mr Anderson mentioned.
Regardless of outrage on the feedback, Justice Secretary Alex Chalk supported Mr Anderson’s ‘salty’ indignation as ‘effectively positioned’.
Downing Road additionally backed Mr Anderson amid a livid row.
