Defence Secretary distances himself from MP's 'Islamist' comments
Lee Anderson said that 'Islamists' had 'gotten control' of Sadiq Khan
Defence Secretary Grant Shapps has distanced himself from so-called 'Islamist' comments made by a fellow Conservative MP.
Lee Anderson had previously said that "Islamists" had "got control" of London Mayor Sadiq Khan in a previous TV interview.
As he appeared, the MP for Ashfield added that Khan had "given our capital city away to his mates", sparking criticism from the Labour Party and some of Anderson's fellow party members.
Shapps was asked on his colleague's remarks and pressed on whether they were acceptable in a TV interview on Saturday (February 24th).
Responding to calls from Labour that Mr Anderson should lose the Tory whip, Shapps publicly distanced himself from the comments, but said it was important for Anderson to "speak his mind".
He said: "It's certainly not the way I would put things. I think there are more concerns about the way that some pro-Palestinian protests have been taking place, in particular what we saw projected on to Parliament this week, but I certainly wouldn't phrase things like that."
When asked whether Anderson should lose the party whip, Shapps said that this was an issue "for the party itself".
He added, as he was asked whether Anderson provides the right voice for the Tories: "We live in a democracy where people are allowed to speak their mind and Lee Anderson, I think, is famed for speaking his mind."
Anderson's comments came after the pro-Palestinian phrase "from the river to the sea" was projected onto the Houses of Parliament during demonstrations last week as MPs gathered to vote to support a ceasefire in Gaza.
Following his interview, Anderson was criticised by some of his colleagues, including former Chancellor Sajid Javid, who described his remarks as "ridiculous".
Similarly, the Muslim Council of Britain explained in a statement that his rhetoric will raise the likelihood of Islamophobia.
"In a week where we learn of an explosion in Islamophobic hate crimes, influential MPs and a donor to the Conservative Party are endorsing common talking points that peddle conspiracy theories and Islamophobic tropes of alleged Muslim takeovers of our country," the Council said.