Reform UK leader says Tory MPs have tried to defect to his party | LBC

Reform UK Leader Richard Tice refuses to say whether he’d welcome Lee Anderson into the Party but does admit to Nick Ferrari that some of Anderson’s colleagues have asked to come on board.

Tice has come out in support of Anderson, amid criticism of the Ashfield MP for his ‘Islamophobic’ comments directed at London Mayor Sadiq Khan.

“Lee Anderson may have been clumsy in his precise choice of words, but his sentiments are supported by millions of British citizens, including myself,” Tice said. “Never has Westminster and the craven left-leaning establishment been so out of touch with ordinary people.”

“I do not and will not give a running commentary on any discussions I have with any MPs, but those MPs have my number.”

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And here is the leader of the party here to take your calls I’ll just put one question to him first Richard Ty good to have you on Mr T thank you for coming um this is a question you’ll hear a lot in broadcast what was the mood that came

Away would you say from donc cter on the weekend uh we had a great mood uh people were very excited because we launched our contract with you with the people which is our version of a Manifesto No One Believes manifestos and we very deliberately issued it as a draft and it

Sets out how we think we’ve got to reorganize and change the way our economy and our country as run and managed because we are heading towards catastrophe nothing works taxes at record highs we’re in recession per head we’re in the longest recession I think

Since the mid1 1950s and so we set out a very different plan how we can actually save significant sums of money over hundred billion pounds and then how we should reinvest that in a combination of tax cuts and public sector investment in particular in healthcare where we’ve put

Forward a very clear plan how you get to zero waiting listen to you and then how you keep them there okay I’ve got those pledges in front of me and some of the sums we’ll come to those in a moment I’m sure but let’s get straight to the calls

That’s what we are about Andrew is in Halifax and you are through to Richard TI Andrew good are you the Andrew I spoke with a couple of weeks ago you’re reform supporter I I I certainly am good to have you back on Sir okay you’re through to your party leader go ahead

Good morning Richard um are you Keen now um to admit Lee Anderson to your ranks given uh what he said the sentiment of which I wholeheartedly can go with uh after what he said over the weekend good morning Andrew thanks for the call look I’m not giving you a running commentary

On discussions as I’ve put out there with any uh any MP of any party that is clear but I have put out a statement with regard to what Lee said and look Lee’s comments by his own admission were clearly clumsy that is for sure but the

Sentiment of what I think he was trying to say is actually different what I think he was trying to say is that millions of British people are concerned about these uh these marches on our streets week in week out particularly in London but elsewhere across the country

And the fact that they are they are there’s many people on those Marchers who who do it with the best intentions but I’ve been to some of these marches I’ve spoken to some of the people and I’m afraid to say there is actually a deep vein of anti-Semitism and hate that

Goes through a significant chunk of those marches and that’s what concerns me that’s why I called for them actually to be banned very early doors that’s the reality and I think people are concerned for example the situation last week where we’ve got even the police now are afraid of arresting people who are

Breaking the law in Parliament Square projecting that image onto Big Ben MPS are afraid I’ve also I’ve got my own candidate in the current byelection who yesterday received a serious death threat so there’s a lot of tension out there and I think that our authorities our police need to show real leadership

To to try and nip this in the bud I want to talk to you about Simon danuk the candidate that you’ve referenced just before I come to that Mr T you say the words that used by Mr were clumsy What specifically was clumsy I think he was

Clumsy in the way he used the words and specifically I think referring to um the mayor of London’s mates that was clumsy I don’t think that’s what what he was trying to say islamophobic no let me answer this if you we’ve got time yeah it’s really because um look there’s no legal

Definition in the UK of islamophobia it’s a very sensitive issue and I think it’s a matter of at the moment it’s a matter of personal judgment and I fully appreciate those and understand those their judgment is that it is let me tell you though why I don’t think it is the

Defin well islamophobia was first defined in 1997 by the running me trust when they defined it as uh a way of referring to a dread or hatred of Islam and a fear and dislike like of all all most Muslims they’ve increased that definition and changed it and this is

Actually now recommended to be adopted by the British government in the United Nations as follows and I read this very carefully because it is sensitive a fear Prejudice and hatred of Muslims or non-muslim individuals that leads to provocation hostility and intolerance by means of threatening harassment abuse incitement and intimidation of Muslims

And non-muslims both in the online and offline world if that definition was adopted and I think the chaotic mess that the Tory party finds and probably suggests that we should get to a legal definition I don’t think that LE Anderson’s comments breach that definition but I accept different people

Have a different judgment on the basis that there isn’t a legal definition and while I accept um with what you said Mr Ty and I don’t expect you to give me a running commentary on which conservative MP you might have spoken to or indeed MPS from other parties but Mr Anderson

Has indicated if the whip is not restored he would be interested in possibly standing as a reform UK candidate at this year’s general election so I think it’s fair to say would you welcome him look I think it’s a hypothetical let’s wait to see he’s put it in the arena hasn’t he yeah

Everybody’s put it in the arena Nick and I’ve said he has the man himself Mr Ty would you welcome him on board well hang on he what he said is if he’s not re return to the Tory party which is clearly his preference it’s hypothetical I’m not giving a running commentary to

Be honest I’m not saying any more than that would you have him on the ticket look I’m not giving a running commentary on uh the issue of discussions about any MP whether it’s Lee Anderson or others what I will what I will say though Nick I’ve already turned down uh two Tor

MPS over what time scale over the last 13 months do we have any names of course not what reason then I’m not giving a running commentary but I’m just making the point that uh you know there are some people who want to join us that we’ve said thanks but no thanks what is

The bar that you have to clear then why were they deemed I know you’re not G me their names and I wouldn’t expl why were they deemed inappropriate well I I want people that uh subscribe to our values our principles our integrity and so yes

You would expect there to be a bar a certain threshold and that’s a matter for us to judge in the party but Shan Matthews is still your perspective candidate in LA and Horn Castle shall I remind you what he said it’s no surprise children want to remove their penises

And become girls most of their parents started the process shortly after birth by chopping their forkin off in the name of brackets insert deity like last time we discussed this you said if anyone says or writes anything dter inappropriate we’ll look at it he’s still your candidate so that’s

Acceptable and he has apologize for that and recognizes that was completely wrong and we’ve concluded that as long as he doesn’t say anything else has it been taken down I believe it has been taken down yes I’ve been assured of that and he has uh he he’s apologized so you

Could stay with the party for having those offensive views but whatever these two tourist did they didn’t clear the bar correct goodness knows what they did Andrew a quick reaction you were one of the first people people to say how excited and Keen you were on reform

Quick reaction of what youve heard about the party leader uh well yes uh would you like to see Lee Anderson on board I I I certainly would because what he’s saying it’s very clumsy but what he’s saying is that there are millions of out of us out there who are sick and tired

Of seeing extremist islamism disrupting our cultural and National Life almost every damn week of the year okay sir thank you for that we move on Alan in chromer you’re through to Richard TI go ahead Alan good morning Nick thanks for the opportunity to PO question to Richard and Richard good morning good

Morning yeah great thanks for a spring conference and for live streaming it it was fantastic speakers content was relevant open and honest my question to you is I also love the contract by the way thank you very much my question to you is not withstanding the current electoral first Pastor post system how

Does my vote which you’re going to get for reform at the election help reform get into Parliament and ultimately save Britain by getting it moving in the right direction Alan thank you you well as long as Millions more like you vote then uh the more votes we get the better

The chance look um first pass the post in this uh country is difficult for small parties we all know that but the many more millions that vote for reform I think it will then become increasingly untenable to maintain the system which is not adopted by most western Nations

And here’s the absolute key reason why we should have proportional representation in this country because the average turnout in countries with PR is about 10% higher in the UK that would be another three million people engaging in the Democrat Democratic process and that I think would be a really really

Good thing and it’s quite right that people should vote for what they believe in not what they’re afraid of and every vote should be equal and at the moment in many safe constituencies that is not the case the spring in your step that was afforded from your time in Doncaster

Come on you and your colleagues must have had a meeting where you hope number that this will transform into an actual elected MPS Mr TI yes of course we want some elected M how many what would you think would be acceptable now well obviously I mean I’m I’m an optimist

Nick as many as possible but realistically what are you working to Alan Allan’s point is he wants to vote for you but and he wants reform and reform cap and lowercase the key thing is Nick this is not a one-term one election project this is a medium-term

Project to help involve to reshape the way our country is run is run and to be involved in that debate so look we’re here for the long term it’s difficult out to first pass the post I’m actually very optimistic in the next next ele cycle we will get PR of course I want

MPS as many as possible but what are you working to double digits as as many as double digits would be great treble dig digits would be even better I want to come back thank you uh Alan uh Nick coming to your call I want to come back

And my apologies you did referen this and we need to come back to this very serious story concerning your candidate in Rochdale and I need to tell all the listeners there is a list of all candidates available on lbc.com today and you’ve actually been in contact with the chief conser of

Greater mancher police um I’ll rely on you to be aware of legalities here cuz you’re probably more aware of what’s happening what is going on up there Mr Ty so regrettably a vile uh racist uh video was published online against our candidate uh threatening him with death

We obviously referred it to the police it’s the worst thing I’ve ever seen and heard and it was in all your time in politics you seen anything this L it’s off the DI I’m afraid off the dial awful so bad that yes uh we referred it to the

Police and I’ve had to move my staff from their accommodation in the constituency we’ve had supporters businesses being threatened with being firebombed if they don’t take down the leaflet supporting our candidate so this is this is actually the reality of what’s going on on the streets of the UK

It’s very very bad indeed and you know that actually for me is what we should really be talking about this is extremism this is what we’ve got to stamp out this is the responsibility whether it’s the mayor of London the the Met police chief the Home Secretary the

Government they’ve got to show proper leadership and stamp out this stuff have you heard back from the chief Constable yet I haven’t as far as I’m aware uh just before I came on the show