Lee Anderson jokes ‘my telephone is pink sizzling’ as Tories beg him to make transfer | Politics | News | EUROtoday

Tories have contacted Lee Anderson urging Reform to not stand candidates of their constituencies, the previous Conservative MP has claimed in a TV interview.

He joked his telephone has “been on fire” since Nigel Farage announce his return to frontline politics as Reform’s chief and a candidate in Clacton.

The deadline for candidates is that this Friday. Asked if he was anticipating extra Tory defections, Mr Anderson mentioned: “I’m not. There has been conversations this week.

“My telephone has been on fireplace since Monday. Lots of calls and textual content messages from colleagues who’re very involved about shedding their seats.”

He added: “But I feel it is a case if they are going to go down with the ship. They see the writing on the wall and so they’re not ready to make the punch.

“It’s a shame really because there’s lots of good Conservative MPs still in the party who deserve to be in Parliament at the next election.

“But the best way issues are going, they will not be there sadly.”

When GB News pressed the former Tory MP on whether he was getting calls about possible defections, he added: “They’ve been calling me saying issues like ‘please do not stand in my space, in my constituency, we’re good individuals.

“We’re on the same page. We need to be sat on the green benches in opposition come July. But I’m sorry, it is what it is. The Conservstive Party has let the country down. No 10 has let the country down.

“I feel there’s going to be a little bit of a massacre, a political massacre come July 4, and sadly a few of my colleagues are going to be in search of work.”

A brand new ballot by YouGov carried out earlier than Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer’s TV debate on Tuesday put Labour on 40 p.c with the Conservatives on 19 p.c.

In a blow to the Tories, Reform had been simply two factors behind on 17 p.c, whereas the Lib Dems had been on 10 p.c and Greens seven p.c.