Ashfield MP Lee Anderson tested positive for Covid-19 just days after a meeting with Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
The 53-year-old former coal miner said on Facebook that he began experiencing coronavirus symptoms on Friday and, after being tested on Saturday, received a positive result on Sunday morning.
He met with Mr Johnson and a small group of MPs in Downing Street on Thursday morning, which means the Prime Minister is now self-isolating.
Mr Anderson was a long-time Labour Party member and served as a councillor in the Huthwaite and Brierly ward of Ashfield in Nottinghamshire where he was elected in 2015.
A vocal Brexiteer, having supported the Vote Leave campaign, Mr Anderson subsequently defected to the Conservatives in 2018 and was later elected as a Tory councillor for the Oakham ward in Mansfield.
He became the MP for Ashfield following the 2019 general election, succeeding Gloria De Piero – who stood down.
As a candidate, he said “nuisance” council house tenants should be forced to live in tents and pick vegetables for 12 hours a day from 6am as punishment.
Mr Anderson was among three Tory MPs investigated over allegations of anti-Semitism in December 2019, and was said to be an active member of a Facebook group where George Soros conspiracies were promoted.
In September 2020, Mr Anderson spoke out about other MPs labelling each other “fat old racists” if they supported Brexit.
He also accused Gary Lineker of “virtue signalling” after the Match Of The Day host housed a refugee in his home, saying he should look after “the next boat of illegal immigrants”.
Back in November 2019 he forgot he was wearing a live microphone while he phoned his friend to set up the fake encounter to impress a journalist and damage Labour chances in the area.
“Make out you know who I am… you know I’m the candidate, but not a friend, alright?” He was recorded saying discussed what his mate should say during the interview.
He told the reporter that the phone call was “some leaflets that have just come for me”.
Related: Breaking: EU deal next week, but it will only be “20% better than a no deal”
