Lee Anderson apologises after swearing at security officer when pass didn’t work
Lee Anderson has apologised to the Commons for bullying and harassment after a parliamentary watchdog found he twice swore at a security officer when his pass did not work.
The Reform UK MP allegedly told the guard “f*** off, everyone opens the door to me, you are the only one” when he was told he needed to have his pass checked at the gates to the Westminster estate.
A complaint about the incident on 3 November was upheld by parliament’s standards commissioner.
Mr Anderson initially appealed against the finding to the Independent Expert Panel, but the panel dismissed his case.
Reform UK MP Lee Anderson has been told to apologise to the Commons (Maja Smiejkowska/PA) (PA Wire)
He has since “accepted the Commissioner’s finding that he had sworn at the complainant and that his behaviour had been a breach of the bullying and harassment policy”, the panel said.
It said: “He had also expressed a desire to apologise. The sub-panel accepted Mr Anderson’s evidence that he had faced ‘challenging personal circumstances’ on the day in question and his ‘unacceptable behaviour’ was ‘not planned or premeditated’.”
The security guard claimed that, at one entrance to parliament after he refused to open the door, Mr Anderson said: “F*** off, everyone opens the door to me, you are the only one.”
The complainant went on to explain that he needed to check Mr Anderson’s pass. Mr Anderson then allegedly approached the guard and said: “F*** you, I have a train to catch.”
Jawad Raza, the FDA union’s national officer for parliamentary staff, said the case was “a reminder that behaviours and the culture within the House still needs to change”.
Mr Raza added: “Bullying and harassment is not acceptable in any workplace, nor should it be tolerated.”
Addressing the Commons, Mr Anderson said: “I spoke to the complainant in a manner that was totally unacceptable and which included swearing and other language that goes against the House of Commons bullying and harassment policy.
“I would like to apologise to the complainant and to this house for my behaviour. Our security staff do an incredible job and should always be treated with the utmost respect. The standards of an MP’s behaviour must always be at a higher standard.”
The Reform MP said he had learned “significant lessons” and “such behaviour on my part will never happen again”.
Mr Anderson has a long history of making offensive comments and courting controversy, having been forced out of the Conservative Party for making a racist rant about London mayor Sadiq Khan on GB News.
Lee Anderson was forced out of the Conservative Party over comments he made about London mayor Sadiq Khan (PA)
The former Tory deputy chairman defected to Reform after his suspension for refusing to apologise for a widely criticised interview in which he said “Islamists” have “got control” of Mr Khan.
In an appearance on GB News, Mr Anderson said: “I don’t actually believe that the Islamists have got control of our country, but what I do believe is they’ve got control of Khan and they’ve got control of London… He’s actually given our capital city away to his mates.”
He has also been a vocal supporter of the return of the death penalty, has claimed people who use foodbanks “cannot cook properly… cannot budget” and once challenged anti-Brexit campaigner Steve Bray to a fight.
Before he became an MP, Mr Anderson sparked anger by posting a video on Facebook arguing during his election campaign that “nuisance tenants” should be forced to live in tents and pick potatoes.