Angry Anderson rips up second BBC licence letter
The Independent|September 21, 2024
Reform UK's Lee Anderson has said he "will never apologise" to London mayor Sadiq Khan, claiming he had "given our capital city away".
CLAUDIA SAVAGE
Angry Anderson rips up second BBC licence letter

The MP for Ashfield also took aim at the BBC, said some migrants are "destined for a life of crime" and described Just Stop Oil protesters as "undernourished vegans".

Mr Anderson lost the Tory whip earlier this year after he claimed that “Islamists” had “got control” of Mr Khan, comments the London mayor described as “anti-Muslim and racist”.

At Reform UK’s party conference in Birmingham, Mr Anderson said his comments were “constructive criticism” and the London mayor should be “thoroughly ashamed of himself”. The MP, who defected to Reform, added: “I was told at the time that I must apologise to Labour’s mayor in London. Let me tell you, I will never apologise to that man.”

Later, members of the audience in the auditorium chanted “rip it up” as the Reform chief whip brandished a TV licence letter in the room. Addressing the crowd, he said: “Let’s be honest friends, we have made mistakes in the past and when we make mistakes we must apologise, and we have been responsible for some awful things, things like the BBC.”

This story is from the September 21, 2024 edition of The Independent.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the September 21, 2024 edition of The Independent.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM THE INDEPENDENTView All
Why fans will shrug at loss of Man Utd's brightest star
The Independent

Why fans will shrug at loss of Man Utd's brightest star

A couple of years ago, if the news had broken that Marcus Rashford wished to leave Manchester United and seek his future elsewhere, the effect on the club's fans would have been dramatic.

time-read
4 mins  |
December 21, 2024
Will Usyk or Fury 'get old overnight' in their rematch?
The Independent

Will Usyk or Fury 'get old overnight' in their rematch?

In boxing we have an expression we use during a fight, if one of the boxers looks bad: \"He got old overnight.\"

time-read
3 mins  |
December 21, 2024
O'Shea is loving the battles at the Republic of Ipswich
The Independent

O'Shea is loving the battles at the Republic of Ipswich

As a player who was clocked as the fourth fastest in the Premier League last season, Dara O'Shea relishes it \"when I'm up against a striker and it's me and him\".

time-read
6 mins  |
December 21, 2024
Sliding doors moment that saw Spurs embrace chaos
The Independent

Sliding doors moment that saw Spurs embrace chaos

Tottenham fans will wonder what could have been tomorrow as Arne Slot brings league leaders Liverpool to north London

time-read
3 mins  |
December 21, 2024
HS2 doesn't need a 'reset'...this line never made sense
The Independent

HS2 doesn't need a 'reset'...this line never made sense

Nobody knows how much it will cost or when it will be done. With our creaking transport system, the mounting billions would be better spent elsewhere, says Chris Blackhurst

time-read
5 mins  |
December 21, 2024
Hope for economic growth dampened by uncertainty
The Independent

Hope for economic growth dampened by uncertainty

Fun fact: the OECD still predicts that Britain's economy will be one of the stars of the G7 during 2025 with growth of 1.7 per cent, lagging only behind the US at 2.4 per cent.

time-read
3 mins  |
December 21, 2024
Trump's war on the press is straight from Putin playbook
The Independent

Trump's war on the press is straight from Putin playbook

The pen may not be mightier than the sword, but it still has the power to wound. How else to explain the extraordinary remarks of the former Russian president, Dmitry Medvedev, this week in which he revealed how stung he'd been by an editorial in The Times?

time-read
4 mins  |
December 21, 2024
Musk calls far-right AfD party saviours of Germany
The Independent

Musk calls far-right AfD party saviours of Germany

Elon Musk has described the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party as the country's saviour, sparking calls from Berlin for the US billionaire to \"stay out\" of their politics.

time-read
2 mins  |
December 21, 2024
Macron swears in heated exchanges with crowds in cyclone-battered Mayotte
The Independent

Macron swears in heated exchanges with crowds in cyclone-battered Mayotte

French president Emmanuel Macron swore during an exchange as he was heckled by angry residents of a Mayotte neighbourhood ravaged by cyclone Chido, telling them: “If it wasn’t for France, you’d be 10,000 times deeper in shit.”

time-read
3 mins  |
December 21, 2024
Store guard helped uncover abuse of Pelicot by husband
The Independent

Store guard helped uncover abuse of Pelicot by husband

When Gisèle Pelicot was called to talk to police in November 2020, she believed it was to discuss upskirting allegations made against her husband of 50 years.

time-read
2 mins  |
December 21, 2024