Rishi Sunak was asked four questions about Lee Anderson on Radio York. Here are the questions and answers.
As you can see, all four answers were essentially the same (a standard Sunak technique).
Q: Has the Conservative Party got Islamophobic tendencies?
No, of course it doesn’t. And I think it’s incumbent on all of us, especially those elected to parliament, not to inflame our debates in a way that’s harmful to others.
Lee’s comments weren’t acceptable. They were wrong, and that’s why he’s had the whip suspended.
Q: How do you account for Lee Anderson’s comments and your decision to suspend him?
His choice of words wasn’t acceptable, it was wrong. That’s why the whip was suspended. And words matter, especially in the current environment where tensions are running high, and I think it’s incumbent on all of us to choose them carefully.
Q: How frustrating is it that he hasn’t apologised for those comments?
The most important thing is that people realise that the words they use in a situation that we’re in now, where tensions are running higher than I think any of us would like, and my priority is to try and take the heat out of this situation and that’s what everyone wants to see. And that’s why words matter. And his words weren’t acceptable. They were wrong, and that’s why the whip was suspended.
Q: How much of a blow is this to your election chances in red wall seats?
It’s not about that. I think in a situation like this, it’s important that we maintain high standards. That’s why the whip was suspended.
Sunak is now due on BBC Radio Humberside. You can listen here.
Spanswick now turns to the NHS.
She says she was involved in an accident last year, when she was due to interview Sunak, and asked the paramedic with her what he would ask Sunak if he had the chance. She said he wanted to know “why are you running down the NHS”.
Sunak claims performance in A&E departments is getting better. He says the strikes have made it harder to tackle waiting lists.
Spanswick says a friend was at the doctor’s last week, and was told the doctor would not send them to A&E because they would have to wait nine hours.
Sunak says of course that is not right.
But the use of community diagnostic hubs will make thing better, he says.
Sunak’s line on Lee Anderson was broadly the same as Oliver Dowden’s yesterday. He did not get pressed on some of outstanding questions relating to this as yet unanswered, and is now being asked about the transport announcement for the north of England – the main reason for the interview.
Georgey Spanswick is interviewing Rishi Sunak on Radio York.
She says Sunak is on the programme to talk about transport. But she is going to start with the Lee Anderson row, she says.
Q: Has the Conservative party got Islamophobic tendencies?
“No, of course it hasn’t”, Sunak says.
He says people should not be inflaming tensions in this situation.
Words matter. Anderson did not apologise. His words were not acceptable, and he was suspended.
He says it is important to maintain high standards.
Anderson’s words were “not acceptable”, and wrong, he says.
He says he is sure the interviewer will now want to ask transport, and the “compelling offer” that the Conservative party has.
Rishi Sunak is about to be interviewed on BBC Radio York. You can listen here.
Good morning. Rishi Sunak is set to break his silence on the Lee Anderson Islamophobia row shortly. Anderson, a former deputy chair of the Conservative party, told GB News on Friday:
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 [Sadiq] Khan, and they’ve got control of London.
After initially defending him, the Conservative party suspended him about 24 hours, on the grounds that he had refused to apologise to the offence given to Khan, the Labour mayor of London, who is a Muslim. But in interviews yesterday Oliver Dowden, the deputy PM, refused to rule out Anderson being allow to rejoin the parliamentary Conservative party, and declined to describe what Anderson said as clearly Islamophobic.
We’ll hear from Sunak himself shortly. He is about to give interviews to local radio stations in Yorkshire, where he is chairing a cabinet meeting this morning.
Here is Eleni Courea’s overnight story about the row.
All parties have to discipline MPs who say offensive things from time to time, but Anderson is not just a random backbencher. When Sunak made the surprise decision to make him Conservative party chair a year ago, it was not despite the fact that he was best know for saying provocative things likely to appeal to elderly, white, male reactionaries. It was precisely because of his popularity with this group, which is also what secured Anderson his presenting job with GB News.
Here is the agenda for the day.
After 8am:Rishi Sunak gives interviews to three BBC local radio stations
Morning: Sunak chairs a cabinet meeting in Yorkshire.
Morning: Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner visit the West Midlands, where they will be promoting Labour’s plans for housebuilding.
11.30am: Downing Street holds a lobby briefing.
2.30pm: James Cleverly, the home secretary, takes questions in the Commons.
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