Could this be a major pressure point for Reform going forward? The right-leaning party have ridden the crest of a wave over the last 12 months or so, but it now appears that their MPs – including Lee Anderson – will have to confront some of their factions.
Trouble in paradise? Tommy Robinson supporters heckle Lee Anderson
Speaking during the East Midlands Reform Conference, the MP for Ashfield addressed the hot-button issue of grooming gangs, calling for the imprisonment of certain politicians and law enforcement officials who dealt with the cases.
This prompted a fierce response from some of those in attendance, who started heckling Lee Anderson and called for him to ‘listen to Tommy Robinson’. These vocal protests continued in the auditorium, stopping the Reform representative in his tracks.
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Reform facing voter split on Tommy Robinson
Anderson then told the hecklers to ‘shut up or get out’, and asked them if they wanted to take to the stage. The shouts soon subsided, but the disruption highlights that the Farage-led organisation has a real issue on its hands regarding Tommy Robinson.
Nigel Farage, Lee Anderson race to distance themselves from Mr. Yaxley-Lennon
On Friday, Nigel Farage put distance between himself and Elon Musk’s support for Tommy Robinson. Speaking frankly, the political firebrand highlighted why the former EDL leader was imprisoned and made reference to his extensive criminal record.
“There are people in the UK who see him as a political prisoner. That’s the narrative he’s pushed out, but it’s not true. I wouldn’t accept him in this party. He’s been in prison many many times for fraud, passport issues… he’s not what we need.” | Nigel Farage
Lee Anderson has since followed suit, and told GB News that the far-right agitator (Robinson, for anyone wondering) wouldn’t be welcome to join Reform, labelling him as a ‘distraction’ that would not help them in an election.
“He pled guilty and he’s got to take his sentence. Would he be welcome in Reform? No. I think we’ve made ourselves quite clear on that. We need to win the next election to save this country, and we don’t need distractions like Tommy Robinson.” | Lee Anderson