North East Conservative MPs have shared their constituents' anger over the suspension of Lee Anderson, it has been reported.
WhatsApp messages leaked to Sky News are reported to show several MPs discussing his fate - including Hartlepool's Jill Mortimer and Darlington MP Peter Gibson.
At the end of last week, Mr Anderson was suspended from the Conservative Party after telling GB News that "Islamists" had "got control" of the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan.
Mr Khan responded on Saturday saying that the Conservative MP was "pouring fuel on the fire of anti-Muslim hatred".
On Twitter, Mr Anderson accepted that he had put the Prime Minister and the chief whip in a tricky position.
Lee Anderson MP said:
— Lee Anderson MP (@LeeAndersonMP_) February 24, 2024
"Following a call with the Chief Whip, I understand the difficult position that I have put both he and the Prime Minister in with regard to my comments.
"I fully accept that they had no option but to suspend the whip in these circumstances.
"However, I…
Jill Mortimer, MP for Hartlepool, is reported to have shared a message from a constituent saying that they will not vote Tory again.
She said the message read: "Lee Anderson's suspension is the final nail in the party's coffin".
Peter Gibson, Conservative MP for Darlington, is reported to have said that his inbox is "very positive for Lee".
He is said to have called Mr Anderson "a huge asset to our party".
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Responding to the swathe of messages, Tory chairman Richard Holden stepped in to say: “The last thing I wanted to see was one of ours lose the whip.”
Up until January, Mr Anderson had been the Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party.
He resigned to rebel against the Government over the Rwanda vote.
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