The Met Police is assessing a report of hate speech made against Lee Anderson, and the former Tory MP could now face a police investigation after saying that Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, was controlled by Islamists.
Last week, Mr Anderson said that “Islamists” had “got control of Khan and London” and that he had “given the city away” to “his mates”, in reference to pro-Palestine demonstrations that have taken place regularly in the capital city since Hamas’s pogrom on 7th October last year.
The former deputy party chairman was stripped of the Conservative whip after he refused to apologise for the comments. He has since said he stands by the “sentiment of his comments”, although conceding that they were “a little bit clumsy”.
The Met Police does not name individuals who have not been charged with a criminal offence. However, after it was first reported in the Sun, the force did confirm a report had been made regarding an allegation of hate speech by an MP. Scotland Yard said they were “assessing” a report made by an unknown complainant the day after he made the remarks, which opponents described as Islamophobic.
After police complete their assessment, they could either escalate the case and launch a full investigation or dismiss it due to lack of substantial evidence.
Senior Conservatives have described Mr Anderson’s attack on Mr Khan as “wrong”, although he has also received support from some Tory MPs, including Jacob Rees-Mogg. The former business minister said his comments were “infelicitous” but “his concerns about Islamism are entirely legitimate” and he should not have been suspended from the party.
