Calls for Truss and Anderson to lose whip as pair rebuked by senior Tory
Labour has called for Liz Truss and Lee Anderson to lose the Conservative whip over media appearances that also caused anger within Tory ranks.
In a letter to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Friday, shadow paymaster general Jonathan Ashworth said “egregious” remarks made by the pair “cannot go unchecked or unchallenged”.
Ms Truss had used a talk at the Conservative Political Action Conference (Cpac) in the US to claim her efforts to cut taxes were “sabotaged” by the “administrative state and the deep state”.
The former prime minister, whose disastrous mini-budget in 2022 unleashed economic chaos, later took part in an interview with Steve Bannon and remained silent as he hailed far-right figure Tommy Robinson a “hero.”
Senior Tory MP Sir Sajid Javid was among those to criticise her for not challenging the comment, writing in a post on X: “I’d hope every MP would confront such a statement head on. Liz should really know better.”
Islamists
Sir Sajid also hit out at Mr Anderson after the deputy Conservative chairman appeared to suggest in an appearance on GB News that London Mayor Sadiq Khan had “given our capital away” to “Islamists”.
The former chancellor branded the remarks “ridiculous” while Labour said it was “appalling racism and Islamophobia”.
Tory peer Gavin Barwell, who was Theresa May’s chief of staff in Number 10, described the comment as a “despicable slur”.
The PM is being pressed by Sir Keir Starmer’s party to “show some leadership” and take action over the remarks.
A failure to do so would amount to “allowing the divisive, deluded and dangerous views of the far-right into mainstream British politics and continue to give credibility to such a degradation of British institutions and cultural life on the international stage”, Mr Ashworth said.
Left-wing elites
Ms Truss had claimed in her speech that Conservatives are “now operating in what is a hostile environment” and that “left-wing elites” will be “aided and abetted by our enemies in China, Iran and Russia”.
Interviewed by Mr Bannon after her speech, she also said she was willing to work with Nigel Farage to change the Conservative Party.
And she suggested the former Donald Trump adviser, who is facing fraud charges in New York, could “come over to Britain and sort out Britain”.
In his letter to Mr Sunak, Mr Ashworth wrote: “For a senior politician to engage in spreading such blatant conspiracy theories is incredibly damaging to our democracy, our institutions and social cohesion.”
He added: “For a former prime minister to make such remarks, while on an international visit to a country with whom the UK shares a special relationship which upholds liberal values is an unforgivable lowering of the office of prime minister which lessens the United Kingdom’s standing in the world and needs to be acted upon.
“It’s time to show some leadership and take on the extremists in your party. Liz Truss and Lee Anderson must no longer sit as Conservative MPs. Their words cannot go unchecked or unchallenged.”
Downing Street has been contacted for comment.
Ms Truss resigned in October 2022 after the fallout from her botched financial statement, becoming the country’s shortest-serving prime minister after just 49 days in office.
Her speech at Cpac sees her sharing a stage with Mr Trump, whose presidential bid she all but directly endorsed, and Reform UK founder and former Ukip leader Mr Farage.
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The Houses of Parliament need to call the rat catcher, the place is infested with vermin…
Remember truss was endorsed by ARTD.
She has lost the plot but listen to her speech, to the extreme religious right in the US, the same people that have funding back through to the UK to push agenda’s here. Don’t think that what is happening in the likes Alabama will not happen here. There are already inroad from the likes of the heritage foundation here.
Andrew RT Davies would endorse a fart if it gave him political momentum.
He was happy when Anderson was appointed deputy chair. Trumpeted his visit one xmas. Wonder how he feels now. What was Andersons show on? Oh yes, that joks statyion gbeebies, ARTD fav hate spouting channel losing money hand over fist.
Truss just sits there and says nothing to call out this racist bigot, passively accepting it, while at the same time, the neo nazi group “Blood Tribe” march through Nashville Tennessee, shouting anti semitic and racist messages, while carrying swastika flags, and wearing face coverings, (how brave of them). This is what the Tory party are becoming, we are in dangerous times. They need to be stopped.
Liz Truss has lost it big time. From Liberal Democratic to right-wing Conservative to far-right fascist. Her conspiracy speech in America surrounded by some of the most unsavoury type, in particular a blogger who want to see the end of democracy in America replaced with a dictatorship, says everything about her rancid rant. And less said about the Conservative clot Lee Anderson the better.
Truss seems to have a problem with the real world, bless her, while Anderson is the classic bully who has never been disciplined. Both are delusional, believing that people take seriously their outlandish rants.
In truth, they are filling a vacuum created by a self-serving, ineffectual prime minister who cannot control his party.
We can dismiss these two Tory extremists at the moment but once the Tories lose the next election they’ll be welcomed as saviours in their dying party. Unless Labour really makes progressive changes to the country in it’s term of office, we could be faced with the return of a far far more radical Tory party in ’29, headed by the likes of Truss again or Farage. The danger is very really in predominantly conservative England. For Cymru it would be a disaster. We can’t sit and wait for what might happen in Westminster or even Scotland, for that matter,… Read more »
I absolutely agree, but it could be a lot closer than 2029. I don’t have any confidence that starmer can hold it together for a whole electoral term. The labour party could implode very easily, vote starmer out in a vote of no confidence, and bring about an early election.
that would be exactly the sort of drastic collapse of the centre in british politics that would allow these maniacs to use the knackered, undemocratic first past the post system to sail into power, with only a small minority of the popular vote.
Why would Labour call for an early election if it means potentially giving power to a Truss or Farage premiership? If there was a leadership challenge and Starmer was replaced then Labour would just continue under its new leader.
Quote: “left-wing elites” will be “aided and abetted by our enemies in China, Iran and Russia”.
Yet she is speaking to a party that is withholding military aid to Ukraine. A party whose beloved leader encouraged Putin to invade European allies. You couldn’t make this up.
Truss and Anderson are both so detached from reality that they qualify as deluded and insane in the medical sense. The fact that they have both got as far as they have in politics and that, indeed, many people support them and share their bizarre delusional system, is really very worrying.
Its worrying to see how she appears to have been radicalised by her fall from office. I’m surprised she can stand up and suggest that the likes of Nigel Farage would be welcomed into the Tory Party once she takes back control of it. It is really suggesting an entryist plan to take over the party, which you would think would be something that the authorities of the Party would come down hard upon. Especially when collaborating with a representative of a foreign power in the form of Steve Bannon for him to “come over to Britain and sort out… Read more »
Which foreign power does Bannon represent ?
The USA under a restored Trump I assume.
I understand she was already there. She is just trying to say it wasn’t her lack of ability that lost her the job. She still thinks she is capable and now looks for the proof and will take anything. This is why she always was dangerous and still is. Complete lack of anything and near power.
Putin must be chuckling well over this mess. Cost him enough probably.
Should Angela Rayner retract her apology for calling Conservatives “Scum”?
The USA just sent a probe to the moon that is said to be the size of a phone box. You could squeeze two people into a phone box so a big opportunity has been missed here. Truss and Anderson could have been in it.