Call for Liz Truss to lose whip for promoting 'conspiracy theories'

On Friday, the two Tory MPs were criticised for claims made during separate interviews with right-wing media outlets.

During an appearance on Steve Bannon’s podcast, Truss failed to interject when Tommy Robinson was described as a “hero” by the host.

Bannon – a former chief strategist in Donald Trump’s White House – asked Truss if she believed a “radical Islamic party” could win seats at the upcoming by-election in Rochdale.

“The one that had the grooming situation?” asked Bannon.

“Yes,” replied Truss.

READ MORE: Liz Truss silent as Tommy Robinson called 'hero' on Steve Bannon podcast

Bannon said: “The grooming situation, Tommy Robinson, all these heroes fought it. The rape situation. And in that community you going to have a special election and you may have a radical jihadist party send someone to the Commons after all that problems?”

Truss said: “That is correct”.

Meanwhile, Anderson is facing criticism for claiming that Islamists have “got control of [Sadiq] Khan and they’ve got control of London” during an interview with GB News.

The Labour Party have since called for both MPs to have the whip removed.

Party chairwoman Anneliese Dodds said: “Lee Anderson’s comments are unambiguously racist and Islamophobic.

“Rishi Sunak needs to immediately remove the whip. If he is too weak, then people will take their own view of the modern Conservative Party.”

Rishi Sunak is facing calls to remove the whip from Liz Truss and Lee Anderson

While senior Labour MP Jonathan Ashworth said it was time for Rishi Sunak to take on “extremists” within his party in a letter to the Prime Minister.

“I write to request that you urgently remove the whip from Liz Truss and Lee Anderson who clearly have demonstrated that they no longer represent the best of British values nor, I would hope, those of the Conservative Party,” he said.

“It is my view that if you do not take this action you will be allowing the divisive, deluded and dangerous views of the far-right into mainstream British politics and continue to give credibility to such a degradation of British institutions and cultural life on the international stage.

“It’s time to show some leadership and take on the extremists in your party.

“Liz Truss and Lee Anderson must no longer sit as Conservative MPs. Their words cannot go unchecked or unchallenged”.

READ MORE: Lee Anderson says 'Islamists' have got control of Sadiq Khan

The CEO of the UK’s leading campaign group against the far-right, Hope Not Hate, Nick Lowles, wrote to Tory party chairman Richard Holden to call on the whip to be removed from Anderson.

He said: “These comments are clearly Islamophobic, racist and extreme. Not only are they a lie but they are stoking the flames of the far-right and could put the Mayor of London in serious danger.”

However, during an interview with the BBC Defence Secretary Grant Shapps (below) appeared to defend Anderson.

He said the former deputy party chairman had a right to “speak (his) mind” as he was pressed on whether the remarks were acceptable.

Speaking to BBC Breakfast on Saturday, Shapps said he had not seen the comments first-hand but added: “It’s certainly not the way I would put things."

He added: “I think there are more concerns about the way that some of these (pro-Palestinian) protests have been taking place, in particular what we saw projected on to Parliament this week, but I certainly wouldn’t phrase things like that.”

The phrase “from the river to the sea” was reportedly beamed on to the Houses of Parliament on Wednesday as protesters gathered in Westminster to call for a ceasefire in Gaza.

Asked whether Anderson should lose the Tory whip, Shapps said the matter was “one for party itself”.