Tory deputy chairman ’30p’ Lee Anderson claims he was offered ‘a lot of money’ to defect to Nigel Farage’s Reform Party – but its leader Richard Tice denies trying to tap him up
Toiry deputy chairman Lee Anderson has claimed he was offered ‘a lot of money’ to defect to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK.
Mr Anderson – dubbed ’30p Lee’ for his comments on the ability of poor people to economise and cook- reportedly made the claim to Conservative Party members last month.
According to the Sunday Times, which has obtained a recording, Mr Anderson told activists at a ‘Lagers with Lee’ event in Cambridgeshire: ‘Now there is a political party that begins with an R that offered me a lot of money to join them.
‘I say a lot of money, I mean a lot of money.’
Reform was formed from Mr Farage’s former Brexit Party, and he remains its honorary president – though he has been linked with a return to the Conservatives if it is defeated at the next election.
But current Reform leader Richard Tice denied offering anyone money to defect.
He said he had held talks with Tory ‘MPs, ex-ministers and ministers’ about defecting, but suggested Mr Anderson had used the claim as leverage to land his party role earlier this year.
Mr Anderson – dubbed ’30p Lee’ for his comments on the ability of poor people to economise – reportedly made the claim to Conservative Party members last month.
Reform leader Richard Tice denied offering anyone money to defect. He said he had held talks with Tory ‘MPs, ex-ministers and ministers’ about defecting, but suggested Mr Anderson had used the claim as leverage to be given his party role earlier this year.
Mr Tice told BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme: ‘I’m very happy to confirm that I’ve had numerous discussions with a number of Tory MPs, ministers, former ministers, who are absolutely furious with the complete betrayal of the Government’s promises, furious with the failure to stop the boats, furious with opening the borders to mass immigration.
‘Obviously I will keep those discussions completely confidential but let me make it absolutely clear, no cash or money has in any way been offered, what has been offered is the chance to change the shape of the debate.
‘What’s really happened here is that Lee Anderson has used the threat of defecting to Reform to negotiate himself the deputy chairmanship of the Tory party because this story first appeared almost exactly the same in the time back in February when coincidentally, he was made deputy chairman of the Tory party.’
Mr Anderson has attracted criticism for a range of remarks on everything from food banks to illegal migration.
Earlier this month, after the Supreme Court struck down the Government’s landmark Rwanda asylum plan, he suggested ministers should ‘ignore the law’ and start sending asylum seekers to the east African nation.
But he is a favourite of activists and MPs on the right of the party.
Rishi Sunak earlier used an interview with the Mail on Sunday to warn dissatisfied voters against abandoning the party, amid fears among some Tory MPs about the electoral threat of Reform UK.
‘A vote for everyone who is not a Conservative is a vote to put Keir Starmer into office,’ Mr Sunak said.
New Treasury minister Laura Trott said that she was not worried about the Reform UK party outflanking the Conservatives from the right.
The Cabinet minister told the Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips programme on Sky News: ‘I’d be very clear that a vote for Reform or any other party which is not Conservative is a vote for Keir Starmer as prime minister.
‘But what I would say is one of the reasons it’s so important for me to come on shows like yours is for us to communicate as a government what we are doing to stop the boats.’
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