Sunday Papers – ‘Extremism in the Tory party as MP suspended’
Extremism is the focus of many of Sunday’s front pages. Tory MP Lee Anderson has been suspended by his party following his comments about Mayor of London Sadiq Khan which have been labelled as “Islamophobic, anti-Muslim and racist”, whilst some of the papers lead on private security being used by some MPs due to rising tensions.
Rishi Sunak has since warned about the dangers of polarisation and hatred in politics.
Tory party is harbouring “extremists”
The left-leaning and centrist Sunday papers continue their coverage of the turmoil in the Conservative Party – as Lee Anderson has been suspended for his inflammatory comments about Sadiq Khan suggesting Islamists now had control of the country.
Several of the papers also report on safety concerns facing MPs amid the outrageous claims made by Anderson. Several MPs now have security over fears they could be attacked.
Labour leader Sir Kier Starmer talks to the Observer saying the PM is harbouring “extremists” in the Tory party and must stop the slide into what he calls “toxic rhetoric.”
Starmer says removing the whip from Lee Anderson was right, but warns the fact that he was ever a party deputy chairman raises questions about the prime minister’s judgement.
The Sunday Mirror headline is “Boot out this bigot”, saying politicians “on both sides” think Lee Anderson should now be expelled by the Tories. In contrast, the Sun on Sunday says the Conservatives have been “plunged into fresh turmoil over racism”.
The Sunday Times reports that three female politicians have been given taxpayer-funded bodyguards, because of growing concerns about MPs’ safety.
It says the same committee which is responsible for the security of the Royal Family has been brought in to review arrangements. The Telegraph says the number of MPs requiring protection is believed to have risen since the Hamas attacks in October.
Anderson’s ‘massive help’ for Reform UK
The coverage of Lee Anderson is scarce for the right-leaning papers, especially on the front pages. The Sunday Telegraph looks ahead for Anderson, suggesting that he could find a new political home at Reform UK, saying he would be a “massive help to the cause.”
For the typical Conservative-supporting newspapers, the Sunday Express and Mail on Sunday, there’s no room on their front pages to cover Anderson’s comments. Instead, the Mail has an attack on Labour and the Express has a positive story about the government “improving transport links” in Red Wall areas.
‘Lee Anderson to Reform UK?’
The Sunday Telegraph says Nigel Farage has offered Lee Anderson a place in the Reform party, explaining that he would be a “massive help to the cause”.
Pro-Tory papers The Mail on Sunday and the Sunday Express leave the story of Lee Anderson off their front page.
Instead, the Mail on Sunday reports on Labour’s Angela Rayner suggesting “hypocrisy” after it was discovered she “made a £48,500 profit on her ex-council house thanks to the right-to-buy policy she now wants to reform.”
The front of the Sunday Express reports £5bn will be put into “improving transport links” in “Britain’s forgotten regions”. It reports transportation upgrades will take place in “red wall areas”, using the money saved from the scrapping of HS2.
