Watchdog asked to investigate if MP was offered cash to defect to Reform

Labour has written to parliament's standards watchdog asking for an investigation into claims that Lee Anderson was offered a six-figure financial incentive to join the Reform party the year before he defected.

- Rowena Mason

Ellie Reeves, chair of the Labour party, called on the parliamentary standards commissioner, Daniel Greenberg to look into the circumstances of Anderson's decision to join Reform UK in March.

She highlighted a leaked recording that emerged in November last year in which Anderson, then a Conservative MP, told activists: "Now there is a political party that begins with an R that offered me a lot of money to join them. I say a lot of money, I mean a lot of money."

Reform's then-leader Richard Tice, now an MP, described Anderson's claims at the time as "total lies".

But Anderson subsequently explained: "At one such meeting I was offered the chance to join another party for the following deal - I join within a few months and stand for this party at the next election.

"If I lost my seat I would be guaranteed a job with the party for five years on the same salary as an MP.