LEE Anderson was upstaged by a Union flag during his chaotic press conference to announce he had joined Reform.
The hapless Tory MP grimaced at cameras as he took to the stage with party leader Richard Tice on Monday morning, only to be heckled: “Look happy”.
The Ashfield MP – who lost the Tory whip for Islamophobic comments about Mayor of London Sadiq Khan – snapped back: “Who said that? He’s not getting an interview.”
He then took to a podium – which was placed directly behind a Union flag, obscuring him from view.
Lee Anderson's unveiling as Reform MP being somewhat hampered by a basic presentational issue: he's giving a speech behind a flag, not a great angle for the live TV cameras. pic.twitter.com/qcFL0DgJ4y
— Paul Waugh (@paulwaugh) March 11, 2024
Columnist Paul Waugh quipped: “Lee Anderson's unveiling as Reform MP being somewhat hampered by a basic presentational issue: he's giving a speech behind a flag, not a great angle for the live TV cameras.”
READ MORE: Lee Anderson defects to Reform UK after being suspended by Tories
Elsewhere, Anderson snapped at The Sun’s political editor Harry Cole, accusing the journalist of laughing at him.
And he aimed a dig at a political correspondent for the i newspaper, calling her “Mrs Journalist”.
Poppy Wood tweeted: “Enjoyed Lee Anderson calling me ‘Mrs Journalist’ when I asked if he still thinks poverty in Britain is ‘nonsense’.
Enjoyed Lee Anderson calling me "Mrs Journalist" when I asked if he still thinks poverty in Britain is "nonsense"
— Poppy Wood (@poppyeh) March 11, 2024
He denied he said this, I quoted his own words back to him and he said: "Well Mrs Journalist go and find me that family [in extreme poverty] - I'll give you a year" pic.twitter.com/yczfmjZY8g
“He denied he said this, I quoted his own words back to him and he said: ‘Well Mrs Journalist go and find me that family [in extreme poverty] – I’ll give you a year.”
It’s Anderson’s third political party in six years, having previously been a member of Labour and the Conservatives.
He served as a vice chairman of the Tory party, only to step down in a row over the Rwanda bill – saying he believed it was not tough enough.
After accusing Khan of having given London “away to his mates” while also accusing the London Mayor of having been captured by Islamists, he was suspended from the Conservatives.
Anderson had previously batted away rumours he may join Reform but became their first ever MP on Monday, telling reporters his previous denials were "throwing you lot off the scent”
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