Watch LIVE: Reform UK leader makes big announcement

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       Reform leader Richard Tice shares his thoughts on Budget

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       Lee Anderson has been unveiled by Reform UK as their first MP in Parliament after he agreed to join following his highly controversial suspension from the Conservative Party.

       The move will set shockwaves among Tory MPs many of whom have supported him being reinstated.

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       Just last week, as first reported by this website, Mr Anderson had been hugged by Liz Truss and given a hero's welcome at a fundraiser for Bassetlaw Conservative MP Brendan Clarke-Smith, one of his closest friends in politics.

       Rishi Sunak personally signed off Mr Anderson's suspension after the Ashfield MP lost patience with the rise of Islamist extremism in London's streets around the protests against Israel's conduct of the war in Gaza against Hamas.

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       READ MORE: Richard Tice to make major Reform UK announcement in emergency press conference

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       Mr Anderson claimed that the extremists were "mates" of Labour London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who is responsible for the police in the capital city.

       The Prime Minister agreed with Labour's accusation that the comments were "Islamophobic" and agreed to withdraw the whip from Anderson even though Mr Khan had previously legally represented and associated with terrorists and extremists, also reported by this website.

       The move split the Conservative Party and now Mr Anderson's decision to join Reform UK who are snapping at the Tories' heels in the polls has, according to one senior Tory, "left serious questions about Rishi Sunak's leadership."

       Mr Anderson has already been removed from Tory MP WhatsApp groups in response to the news.

       Taking to X shortly after the news broke, former Lib Dem leader Tim Farron said: "Yikes. He’s been in Labour, Tories, now Reform… it’ll be our turn next."

       Tory MPs home affairs chat WhatsApp group pic.twitter.com/mLL0dmraZl

       — Sam Coates Sky (@SamCoatesSky) March 11, 2024

       Yikes. He’s been in Labour, Tories, now Reform… it’ll be our turn next ?????? https://t.co/hZCOiqNtMO

       — Tim Farron (@timfarron) March 11, 2024

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       Lee Anderson arrives at the Reform UK press conference (Image: EXPRESS)

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       At the end of February, GB News revealed that Mr Anderson had secretly met with Mr Tice at a hotel in Derbyshire, sending speculation of an impending defection skyrocketing.

       However the Red Wall rottweiler refused to speculate about his future, telling GB News: "You'll say Lee Anderson rules out/doesn't rule out joining the Reform party, so I'm making no comment on my future".

       Mr Tice claimed he had actively turned down two Tory MPs who tried to defect last year as they only want MPs who “subscribe to our values, our principles, our integrity”.

       The news of Mr Anderson's defection will pile huge pressure on Mr Sunak, under whom the Tories have fallen to record low polling.

       One poll last week saw the Tories drop to 18 percent support, just 5 points ahead of Reform UK.

       Lee Anderson with Reform UK's Richard Tice (Image: EXPRESS)

       Lee Anderson and Rishi Sunak in happier times (Image: Getty)

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       It will also fuel speculation about whether Mr Anderson's defection will spark further mutiny against Mr Sunak, or other MPs leaving the Tory Party.

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       This morning the LibDems argued Lee Anderson's defection leaves Rishi Sunak's authority "in tatters".

       "Rishi Sunak's authority lies in tatters after the man he personally appointed to be Deputy Chairman of the Conservatives has defected to another party. This is a Prime Minister that cannot govern his own party let alone the country.

       “Even now Sunak is too weak to rule out Nigel Farage joining the Conservative Party. It just shows that there is now hardly a cigarette paper between the Conservative Party and Reform.”

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