Lee Anderson is claimed to have been given a standing ovation and hugged by Liz Truss at a Tory fundraising dinner, hours after Rishi Sunak gave a speech about combating the “forces of division”.
The former PM joked “who is this de-whipped Tory?” in reference to Mr Anderson’s suspension from the Conservative Party over his Islamophobic remarks about London mayor Sadiq Khan, an onlooker told the Daily Express.
Mr Anderson’s appearance at the Tory event came shortly after Mr Sunak gave his first speech outside No 10 since becoming prime minister to call for Britain to “stand together to combat the forces of division”, as he claimed the UK’s streets had been “hijacked” by people “hostile” to British values during pro-Palestine protests.
The prime minister also expressed alarm at George Galloway’s by-election victory in Rochdale, prompting the newly-elected MP to retort that “little Rishi Sunak is in office but not in power”.
Labour’s Jonathan Ashworth urged Mr Sunak to bar Mr Anderson from raising funds for the Tories, saying his appearance in Nottinghamshire “beggars belief”.
