Home Secretary James Cleverly has joined calls for former Tory deputy chairman Lee Anderson to apologise after his criticism of Sadiq Khan sparked a Islamophobia row.
Mr Anderson doubled down on his criticism of Sadiq Khan as Rishi Sunak came under pressure to label his words as Islamophobic.
Speaking to PA in San Francisco on Monday, Mr Cleverly said: “The Prime Minister has made the position of the party clear, he has asked Lee to apologise, Lee didn’t apologise which is why the party whip has been withdrawn.
“I think Lee should apologise, what he said wasn’t accurate, it wasn’t fair, but the Chief Whip and the Prime Minister have made the party position absolutely clear on this.”
The former Tory deputy chairman on Monday admitted his original remarks were “clumsy”, but said saying sorry “would be a sign of weakness”.
It came after the Prime Minister denounced Mr Anderson’s comments that cost him the Conservative whip as “wrong”.
The Ashfield MP was suspended over the weekend after he claimed “Islamists” had “got control” of Mr Khan and London.
On Monday, Mr Anderson told GB News: “When you think you are right you should never apologise because to do so would be a sign of weakness.”
In a statement to the channel, where he presents a weekly show, he said he had made comments “that some people thought were divisive”.
“Politics is divisive and I am just incredibly frustrated about the abject failures of the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan,” Mr Anderson said.
“My words may have been clumsy but my words were borne out of sheer frustration at what is happening to our beautiful capital city.”
In a fresh attack on Mr Khan, the now-independent MP said: “Hundreds of people had been arrested for racist abuse on these marches and we barely hear a peep from the mayor. If these marches were about something less fashionable, Sadiq Khan would have been the first to call for them to be cancelled. It’s double standards for political benefit.”
Mr Sunak said Mr Anderson had been deprived of the Tory whip because his “choice of words wasn’t acceptable, it was wrong”.
But he refused to describe the MP’s comments as Islamophobic when pressed repeatedly, telling broadcasters in Yorkshire: “I think the most important thing is that the words were wrong, they were ill-judged, they were unacceptable…
“It’s important that everybody, but particularly elected politicians, are careful with their words and do not inflame tensions.”
Sir Keir Starmer said the Tory leader “lacks the backbone to call this out for what it is”.
Speaking to reporters in Shrewsbury, the Labour leader said: “I think this is straightforward. It’s Islamophobia and the Prime Minister should call it out for what it is.
“The reason he won’t is because he is so weak.”
And Mr Khan said the Prime Minister’s refusal to call Mr Anderson’s remarks Islamophobic “speaks volumes”.
The Labour Mayor wrote in the Evening Standard: “It shouldn’t be hard to call out comments that are so unambiguously ignorant, prejudiced and racist. Yet those at the top of the Conservative Government are stubbornly refusing to do so.
“It’s a tacit endorsement of anti-Muslim hatred and can only lead to the conclusion that anti-Muslim bigotry and racism are not taken seriously.”
The Prime Minister also declined to criticise former home secretary Suella Braverman, who claimed “the Islamists, the extremists and the antisemites are in charge now”.
“I think that those comments were not about an individual in particular,” he said, adding that “it’s important that we call out” the kind of “unacceptable” scenes “we have been witnessing on our streets in recent times”.
Reform UK leader Richard Tice did not rule out opening the door to Mr Anderson after his suspension.
“Lee Anderson may have been clumsy in his precise choice of words, but his sentiments are supported by millions of British citizens, including myself,” he said in a statement.
“I do not and will not give a running commentary on any discussions I have with any MPs, but those MPs have my number.”
Mr Anderson’s comments have put a spotlight on the ongoing dispute over the classification of Islamophobia.
Downing Street reiterated the Government’s position of refusing to back the all-party parliamentary group on British Muslims’ 2019 definition.
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