'They're just jokers': Former Tory chair in brutal assessment of party after Lee Anderson Islamophobia row
25 February 2024, 23:13
Former Tory Part Chair Baroness Sayeeda Warsi speaks to Carol Vorderman
Former Tory minister Baroness Sayeeda Warsi has said that she thinks some in the party have set out "toxify and destroy the party" in the wake of the Lee Anderson Islamophobia row.
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Baroness Warsi told LBC's Carol Vorderman: "It’s definitely not a party that I recognise - but it's not a party that so many of my colleagues recognise.
"I’ve had colleague on the phone in the last 48 hours just despairing. I’ve had very senior ex-Cabinet colleagues saying ‘they’re just jokers’.
Read More: Muslim peer Baroness Warsi accuses Matt Hancock of ‘Whitesplaining’ Islamophobia
"This is how bad it’s become."
When pressed by Carol on the comments about Sadiq Khan that led to Red Wall Tory MP Lee Anderson losing the whip, the former Cameron-era minister said: "What disturbs me more is that this kind of divisive far-right conspiratorial rhetoric is now in the mainstream and this has real life consequences."
Baroness Warsi pointed out over 40% of religion-based hate crimes were targeted at British Muslims - the majority of which are targeted at women.
In a stark assessment of the Tories, Baroness Warsi said: "My colleagues seem to be wanting to toxify and destroy the Conservative party the way that Donald Trump has done to the Republicans.
Mr Anderson, the former deputy chairman of the Conservative party, was suspended on Saturday after refusing to apologise for saying that Islamists had "got control" of Mr Khan and were in charge of London. He was responding to a claim by former Home Secretary Suella Braverman that Islamists were running Britain.
Mr Sunak released a statement warning against "polarisation" but without mentioning Mr Anderson or Islamophobia.
His deputy Oliver Dowden also told LBC's Matthew Wright that he did not believe Mr Anderson was Islamophobic, despite his comments.
Mr Khan said in a statement on Sunday afternoon that Mr Sunak and Mr Dowden were "enabling" Islamophobia.
