Sadiq Khan breaks silence after Lee Anderson lashes out with ‘Islamophobic’ feedback | Politics | News | EUROtoday

Sadiq Khan has hit again at Tory MP Lee Anderson after he accused the London Mayor had let “Islamists” take over London, accusing the Tory MP of “Islamophobia and racism”.

The former Conservative Party deputy chairman induced a stir yesteday when he claimed Mr Khan had led the capital metropolis be “taken over by his mates”.

Responding, Labour Mayor Mr Khan mentioned: “These comments from a senior Conservative are Islamophobic, are anti-Muslim and are racist.

“We’ve seen over the past two days affirmation that over the previous few months there’s been a rise in anti Muslim circumstances by greater than 330 per cent.

“These comments pour fuel on the fire of anti Muslim hatred and I’m afraid the deafening silence from Rishi Sunak and from the cabinet is them condoning this racism.

“And I’m afraid it confirms to many individuals throughout the nation that there is a hierarchy with regards to racism.”

Labour has demanded “serious, concrete action” from the Conservatives to finally root out Islamophobia, following “racist and Islamophobic” comments made by Lee Anderson about Sadiq Khan.

In a letter to Conservative Chairman Richard Holden, Labour Party Chair Anneliese Dodds said that Mr Anderson’s comments are “the tip of iceberg”, and follow a “deeply concerning pattern of Islamophobic comments tolerated and Islamophobia not dealt with” within the party.

She commented: “Lee Anderson’s feedback have been unambiguously Islamophobic and Rishi Sunak’s failure to droop the whip or take another motion speaks volumes.

“But Anderson’s feedback are simply the tip of the iceberg with regards to Islamophobia within the Conservative Party.

“We have seen numerous examples of ignorant and offensive views tolerated and a failure of the party to adopt a definition or even use the term Islamophobia.

“Sunak has a clear choice: show some backbone and withdraw the whip or be forever known the Tory leader who was too weak to stop the far right rhetoric in his own party.”

Mr Anderson told GB News: “I don’t actually believe that the Islamists have got control of our country.

“But what I do believe is they’ve got control of Khan, and they’ve got control of London.

“He’s actually given our capital city away to his mates.”

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps distanced himself from the comments, telling BBC Breakfast: “It’s actually not the best way I’d put issues.

“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.”

Express.co.uk has contacted Mr Anderson for remark.