I would like my nation again, says Lee Anderson – watch Reform speech reside

Lee Anderson stated “I want my country back” as he was unveiled by Richard Tice as Reform UK’s first MP.

Mr Anderson’s defection follows weeks of hypothesis about his future after he was stripped of the Conservative whip over his claims that Islamists had “got control” of Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London.

Refusing to apologise to Mr Khan, the MP for Ashfield instructed a press convention: “I want my country back. Over the last year or so I’ve had to do a lot of soul-searching on my political journey and I don’t expect much in politics other than to be able to speak my mind and speak on behalf of my friends, family and my constituents.

“Now I might not know a lot of these long words some of these people in Parliament, I know a few short ones, but sometimes this leaves me to be controversial, controversial in my opinions. But my opinions are not controversial, they are opinions that are shared by millions of people up and down the country.”

Mr Anderson added it was “not controversial” to be involved about unlawful or authorized immigration, “fight back” within the tradition wars over gender ideology or to oppose pro-Palestinian protests, which he labelled “hate marches”.

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