I'M NOT RACIST! LEE ANDERSON SAYS HE SPEAKS FOR TORY FAITHFUL

DEFIANT Lee Anderson declared "I'm no racist" and said his outspoken comments represent the views of thousands of Tory voters.

- Sam Lister

The ex-deputy chairman also revealed he is committed to the party, and would happily sit down with Rishi Sunak to discuss the row over his suspension.

But Mr Anderson told the Daily Express he will not apologise as he has been inundated with supportive emails, even receiving a standing ovation in his local pub.

Writing for our newspaper today, the now independent MP said: "The simple fact is I am not a racist but, in this day and age, the opposition are very quick to use the race card for political advantage and, unfortunately, some of my colleagues also fell into the race trap.

"As I have said on numerous occasions over the past week, 99.9% of our Muslim friends in the UK are decent, hardworking law-abiding people who just want to get on with their lives.

and "The point I was trying to make last week was that the Mayor of London has lost control of our capital city as the extremists who hide under the Islam banner take over our streets in their attempt to change the course of our democracy." Mr Anderson had the whip withdrawn at the weekend after he refused to apologise for claiming "Islamists" had "got control" of London Mayor Sadiq Khan.

He was accused of Islamophobia and was criticised by Mr Khan, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and some of his own colleagues.

Mr Khan claimed Mr Anderson's comments were "unambiguously ignorant, prejudiced and racist".