Lee Anderson: 'We have to get Sadiq Khan out' – read full statement

Lee Anderson was stripped of his Tory whip on February 24 following his comments about Sadiq Khan Photo: TOBY MELVILLE/REUTERS

Lee Anderson refused to apologize for his claim that “Islamists” had “gained control” of Sadiq Khan, resulting in him being stripped of the Tory whip.

Mr Anderson, a former Conservative deputy chairman, backed the claim on Monday and said that moving back would be a “sign of weakness.”

In a statement first released to GB News, he admitted his wording was “clumsy” and praised the “vast majority” of Muslims for their “amazing contribution to our society.”

You can read the first statement. The full statement from the Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party is below:

“Yesterday I made a number of comments that some considered divisive. Politics is divisive and I am just incredibly frustrated by the abject failures of London Mayor Sadiq Khan.

“Khan called for an immediate ceasefire weeks ago without any conditions while hostages are still held at gunpoint by a terrorist organization.

“Hundreds of people have been arrested for racist slurs at these marches and we have barely heard mayor's squeak. If these marches had been about something less fashionable, Sadiq Khan would have been the first to call for their cancellation. This is double standards for political gain.

“But when you think you are right, you should never apologize because that would be a sign of weakness. If you are wrong, apologizing is not a sign of weakness, but a sign of strength.

“Seeing the words “From the River to the Sea” on Elizabeth Tower made me sick to my core. . Khan stood by and allowed our police to turn a blind eye to the disgusting scenes around parliament.

“I'm not going to upset anyone. I believe in freedom of speech and have 100 percent respect for people of all backgrounds.

“The vast majority of Muslims are not Islamists, just as the vast majority of Christians are not conservatives or socialists.

p>< p>“The vast majority of our Muslim friends in the UK are decent, hard-working citizens who make amazing contributions to our society, and their religion cannot be blamed for the actions of a tiny minority of extremists.< /p>

“My words may have been clumsy, but my words were born out of pure disappointment at what is happening to our beautiful capital. We must ensure Khan's victory in the May elections.”