Lee Anderson wants his country back | The News Agents

Lee Anderson has defected to the Reform Party, saying he’d done a lot of soul-searching on his political journey, and wants his country back.
He had of course already been kicked out of the Conservative Party for those ‘islamist’ slurs against Sadiq Khan, so when we say ‘defected’ we mean from being a party-less whip-less MP. Nevertheless, the move may chill his former colleagues - and the PM himself, who will wonder if the Lee he championed as his former deputy chair DOES in fact ‘speak for millions around the country’ and whether he will take voters with him.
Later, ’THAT PHOTO’. Why the news agencies wont touch it, and why the apology from the Princes of Wales did little to clarify. Do we owe our Royals privacy ? Or do they owe us transparency? The News Agents have a heated debate.
#news #politics #sadiqkhan #reformuk #conservatives #toryparty #leeanderson #primeminister #NewsAgents #EmilyMaitlis #JonSopel #LewisGoodall
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Emily Maitlis, Jon Sopel and Lewis Goodall - three of the UK’s top journalists - host a brand-new daily news podcast: The News Agents.
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[@user-rv2qx9yy9x]

Yes, and I want my country back from Anderson & co. The political debates of the last decade have been centred around the hard right's victim complex, and I'm sick of it.

[@jon-y6x]

" It's my flag too, and I want it back."

[@kazzas3446]

@@jon-y6xwhere have you lost it??

[@geraldbutler5484]

I can’t understand why you gave it to the privileged Tories in the first place. Change your voting system asap or else the reform the UK desperately needs will not eventuate.

[@jaxcoss5790]

I'm a woman of colour, born and bred in Lindon England BEFORE 30p Lee rolled up on this planet. I also served my country in the British Army. Please let me know where these Islamist aeas are in London? I still live here, and I'd like to go and lhave a look for myself

[@gordonstrong5232]

​@SilverbackMatt Great "I know you are but what am I" argument mate

[@sasserine]

I want my country back, from swivel eyed conspiracy theorists, who think that posting a photo of a bulldog in a bowler hat is a substitute for an argument.

[@jameshealey6535]

" I want my country back! - you will be lucky to get your constituency back. As to "Who's laughing? - Everyone is!

[@alundavies1016]

May just get his deposit!

[@ffotograffydd]

👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@coppershark1973]

It's NOT his country. It belongs to ALL of us. He needs to shut up and read his history!

[@taekwanlew]

He should, as his ilk often say, go back to where he belongs. His name suggests he is from Scandinavia in general and Sweden in particular

[@kevingrant7098]

Most of it belongs to royalty the church overseas, billionaires corporations, 2% of the wealthiest people in the country

[@RichWoods23]

@@kevingrant7098 Land and society are not identical. It's a pity your insight skews only one way.

[@patrickjoseph-q4k]

His power-misuse over a reporter, his lack of transparency & social skills, reluctance to answer reasonable questions, could be taken out of a communist leaders playbook. Tice wasnt much better. I thought Reform wanted a diferent. approach to politics ? if prickly Lee is still a member of his new party in 12 months I will be v surprised; go independent, and then into oblivion maybe.

[@rwo5402]

He can read?

[@peterkirby2771]

I want my country back also so please vote the Tories out

[@isabellewhite3505]

❤❤❤❤

[@hg82met]

I want my country back from the Tories and charlatans like him.

[@glynscothern5569]

Like who.

[@garyh1572]

@@glynscothern5569 Boris, Jacob Rees Mogg, Gullis, Braverman........

[@1inchPunchBowl]

@@glynscothern5569 If they told you, would it make a difference then? Who are you?

[@pfauniversal1890]

It's your Daddy lad​@@1inchPunchBowl

[@1inchPunchBowl]

@@pfauniversal1890 They dug him up?

[@janswimwild]

Strange that, so do I and the far right wouldn’t be a part of it!!

[@rprobp186]

Who is ‘far right’?

[@keithewright]

@@rprobp186Reform, even more so now 30p Lee is on board

[@HarryFlowerrs]

​@@rprobp186You 🤡

[@davidwebster3107]

His country is not mine. I do not recognise mine any more. Since bigotry was given its head in 2016 we have become more and more a nasty little nation. I have no pride in it.

[@artsed08]

THEN DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT

[@HarryFlowerrs]

Like 90% of Brits he's a foreigner from Scandinavia 'Andersen' became Anderson! 😮 Possibly ....

[@davidwebster3107]

@@artsed08 What makes you think I don’t? All suggestions gratefully received, preferably in sentence case.

[@dirkbogarde44]

@@HarryFlowerrs Least he's white.

[@HarryFlowerrs]

@@dirkbogarde44 That's all you got?😂 When you've done picking peanuts out of dog filth let us know!🤡

[@dub604]

Poor Lee.... Someone tell him the country in question was 1930's Germany and it didn't work out terribly well then either.

[@michaelharrington5975]

Think Lee means before Tony Blair said we will rub the right's nose in diversity, we never had honour killings, female gender mutilation, sham marriages, the veil, grooming gangs, terrorist groups beaming slogans on the houses of parliament, suicide bombings, knife crime.

[@aclark903]

If you actually read history you might understand it a whole lot better.

[@dub604]

@@aclark903 🤡

[@kevingrant7098]

I won’t my country back from extreme right wing, media and politicians

[@KeithFox-]

No such thing as extreme ring wing in the UK

[@johnbutcher2587]

@@KeithFox-well you are right when people call gbnews extreme right wing, its not, more extremely idiotic with berks like Lee Anderson who stands behind a flag and say he joined a party because his mummy told him too

[@joetrent4753]

@@KeithFox-Lets just call them what they are then, the far right.

[@ltsjustchris]

@@KeithFox-if you cant seem to grasp it, look in a mirror youl see it close up 😬

[@ktool4855]

The conservatives are left wing you posh middle class thickos. You don't even know what right wing means, you just label anything you don't like as right wing. I would give anything for a far right government, the tories are currently more left wing than labour.

[@tednindo6761]

I want my country back from these shameless grifters and right wingers

[@davidbentley4731]

He wants to speak his mind. That shouldn’t take long.

[@scarfholdgraphicsmedia9501]

In small words no less😊

[@dennismay1023]

Why does Anderson not respond to Beth Rigby's considered question? Because he lacks the intellect.

[@patrickjoseph-q4k]

a dif. sort of politics - where its more of the same

[@johnbekoe2973]

Sunak created it's own monster 30p Lee and can't tame or control him

[@nickrails]

He doesn't want his country back enough to resign, trigger a by-election, and stand as a Reform MP. And he has the cheek to say that the current political system is broken doesn't represent the people. Absolute hypocrite.

[@ColinBarrett001]

Hear hear. And he'll get away with it too, because the mainstream media will not call out his hypocrisy.

[@walshydpo]

He's our very own Marjorie Taylor Green.

[@deborahrichards8234]

And tell him the Commonwealth countries want all of their land, the jewels that was stolen from them

[@jananders1351]

The Greens and the LibDems must terrified that it will soon be their turn turn for Lee to have a go at being one of them :)

[@helenrichardson1740]

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂🎉

[@scarfholdgraphicsmedia9501]

Paul Marshall was a Lib Dem...

[@gordonstrong5232]

Count Binface is already steeling himself

[@AgentGreyFox]

Everyone wants the country back from the Tories.

[@jayjayaseelan7441]

Said the Aboriginal people, Native American and so on.

[@patrickfrost7488]

Interested to know what equivalence you're drawing here. From what I understand, those native populations are asking for protection for their culture and people, representation and generally not to be erased from history. Are you saying that's what's happening in UK or am I missing something?

[@jonm7272]

Considering very few Scottish or Welsh people ever vote tory, us indigenous people would very much like our countries back from the tory parasites that English voters keep foisting on us.

[@kevinduggan201]

The fact that the tory Party and indeed reform view this man as the voice of the average red wall voter and is an agragate of the Northern mildest, is equal parts offensive, unsurprising and illuminating as to why politicians have neglected the north to such an extent. I swear these politicians think that the aversge northener is a flatcap wearing catherine Cookson character

[@kriissyy09ify]

I was born and still live in a council estate. I'm sorry to inform people about this, but Lee Anderson would be considered a moderate in places like mine. Was only a year ago the whole estate nearly started a riot because an immigrant was wrongly accused of chatting up a 16 year old.

[@gordonstrong5232]

​​@@kriissyy09ify Aren't most council estates multi cultural nowadays though? Edit: not asking to troll either, I ask because the far right are constantly complaining about working class areas been overtaken by immigrants, just wanted to know if it's actually like that where you are. The 3 council estates in my town are 99% white.

[@kevinduggan201]

@gordonstrong5232 I'd say it depends on where you are, most people who come to the country congregate around areas of ecconomic activity, i.e., cities, the further out the less this is the case. I live on an estate between Liverpool, Manchester, and Preston, and it's largely white British but I work with people who live in areas closer to city centres, and it tends to be more diverse One point however is that there is an assumption that council estates are like those chanel 5 documentaries we saw a while back, or jeremy kyle waiting rooms, that isn't the case its got a huge diversity of skills and abilities of the people who live in them, I have a PhD in neuroscience for example, my wife has a masters degree in social work most of my neighbours are well educated, thoughtful and articulate people. So I get annoyed when I see people like 30p lee being dragged out as representative of the North or council estate politics, the Tories view of us is similar to that monty python sketch, where John Cleese is the minister for overseas development but is being treated like a baby

[@gordonstrong5232]

​@@kevinduggan201 Well said mate. Yeah it really gets on my wick that the working class are supposed to be embodied by a knuckledragger like Anderson, when many of us are not like that at all. He certainly doesn't represent me or my values.

[@davesy6969]

Lee Anderson- the wildernes minutes.

[@shanedorrian8192]

Like lot of right wingers when you ask them simple methodical questions their only answer is silence because they have no answer

[@user-sd3ik9rt6d]

Its not his country, its our country.

[@dirkbogarde44]

Left wingers don't count.

[@DonnQuaydeich]

"Our" meaning who?

[@mysteriousfox88]

this guy is free to walk straight back into the sea

[@darrylsimpson4744]

How’s he going to get his country back? What does he want? No blacks? No Indians? No Pakistanis? Exactly what does he want? How’s he going to achieve it?

[@LilyMoonWitch]

Like all right wingers, he's going to pretend he's a victim because he can't live in a world filled solely with other white men, cry about it loudly like the total alpha male he is, then demand someone else do something.

[@dirkbogarde44]

Sounds awesome. Count me in.

[@vincentblack7467]

Don't we all want our country back!!

[@williamthompson4389]

Wants his country back! So does everybody else.

[@ffotograffydd]

I didn’t know he owned a country, but if someone stole it they should definitely give it back! 😂

[@markjohnston7869]

He may want his version of his country back but nobody with any sense wants him.

[@JoeWedgwood-ik9zo]

Build a Time Machine and F off back to the 70s then 👍🏻

[@kriissyy09ify]

Brexit happened less than a decade ago and we all know why people voted for it.

[@JoeWedgwood-ik9zo]

@@kriissyy09ify not everyone. My parents where just duped by the anti eu daily mail drivel. They at least know it was a mistake now

[@sasserine]

The 1870s, from the sound of him.

[@neonwired4978]

@@JoeWedgwood-ik9zo they had 30 years of the right wing media misrepresenting and lying about the EU to the point were it's part of their generation.

[@kriissyy09ify]

​@@JoeWedgwood-ik9zothat's what they tell you but if they read the DM, then that's a pretty big clue why they voted for it.

[@nickyd922]

Am I the only person who finds the royal family utterly absurd?

[@richardjakobek7477]

No.

[@thomasscallan1718]

Anderson probably thinks the country should be like an episode of The Darling Buds of May!

[@markendicott6874]

The phrase Thicker than Mince was invented for him, and at today's prices 30p doesn't even buy him much of that.

[@brianhotaling5849]

he sound like he’s always trying to pick a fight

[@mrdaveythebaby]

How long til Anderson is in Galloway's party? I reckon he'll last less time than a turnip.

[@RichWoods23]

A turnip shaped like a thingy.

[@robbiegrant4977]

Lettuce hope.

[@mrdaveythebaby]

@@robbiegrant4977 bringing it home 😭

[@alundavies1016]

They can have a chat together on the opposition benches until they both get kicked out at the next GE

[@kirishima638]

He wants his country back? Which country is that?

[@SpringsteenRecordings]

So much implicit classism against the likes of Lee Anderson from these two

[@edm2189]

Ridicule and class prejudice. About the right tone for the New agents

[@jamesbriers696]

The man has no political intelligence. Emily is spot on with her analysis of him. He does speak for a small part of the working class vote. The older less thoughtful section. Opinions based on bigotry not evidence. He became an MP on pure luck and the tory powers that be saw him as a useful idiot to curry some favour with the "red wall" electorate. The fact Sunak elevated him to be one of the many deputy chairmen of the party says more about Rishi's lack of judgement and level of desperation than Lee's ability.

[@GerryHat-trick]

I'm not sure Sunak and his cronies are waiting for things to turn around. Obviously, they'll be hoping the political landscape turns in their favour, but if it doesn't they still have more time to allow money to be taken from the economy and donated to party funds, while also doing everything possible to make the next government's job almost impossible.

[@mrdaveythebaby]

I imagine Anderson still hasn't found his soul.

[@hg82met]

He's sure an immigrant stole it from him.

[@robbiegrant4977]

He never had one.

[@tepelem]

He found his spirit animal, Foghorn Leghorn.

[@Nala1950]

Next

[@alundavies1016]

Anybody told him that it isn’t just his country?

[@stevej820]

So the scab becomes a turncoat.... who would have guessed?

[@buzzukfiftythree]

Let’s consider Lee’s reality Vs reality. The reality is we have an ageing population. Therefore, we either have to encourage procreation with financial incentives or else we must have immigration in order for our economy to survive. People like Lee are living in a world of their own.

[@radman8321]

Or we could invest in things to improve the country's productivity. You know, do the same amount economically with less people.

[@user-ix4mv2gs1r]

We need to accelerate mass immigration. If the white British becomes a minority (hopefully soon 🙏), then racism will become a thing of the past.

[@buzzukfiftythree]

@@radman8321 I agree, that also needs to happen. I don't think any one approach needs to be exclusive of others. We're going to need more medics and nurses, more carers and other workers to support our ageing population.

[@kevinbarry1724]

Anderson is a bully.

[@rprobp186]

So is Maitlis

[@racingBandit98]

I am fully with Lewis in expecting the Head of State and Future Head of State to be completely transparent about their health and ability to do their role, however ridiculous that role might be. It's only the same as America wanting to know the mental compotency of their president, they are both head of state after all

[@patrickfrost7488]

Difference being the level and real world control between the King and a US president. That makes those convos very different! I'm very happy Emily stepped in. I'm no royal but I do think they need to be seen as people not objects. John's right, the world is different now. I think the tools that papz have to get info is far more insidious and potentially dangerous.

[@racingBandit98]

​@@patrickfrost7488 I get what you are saying but if that is the case they should give all the tax money back and live like any other family. When the tax payer subsidises their current existance we have a right to know how they are and what they are up to. If we didn't give them any tax money they can be as private as they see fit.

[@brianhotaling5849]

Then he should go back into the mines, and know his place.

[@asimusicUK]

Why doesn’t defecting to another party trigger a by-election?

[@Shsjier]

According to 30p's comments a few months ago, it should be mandated by law

[@robbiegrant4977]

@@Shsjier This....

[@patrickjoseph-q4k]

we just had one in Bristol. Cost? 250 000 grand on CT payers bills

[@1inchPunchBowl]

He would have to resign first, but that would not fit the hypocritical & cowardly persona he has carefully crafted over the years.

[@markbolsover3145]

"turn a corner, ... somewhere, ... & back again. ... " Beautiful summary of UK politics c.2024. ...

[@Contraster671]

I’m a republican, and against the institution, not the individuals. I don’t think Kate is malicious and always thought she is quite open. But she has a problem. They take our money and enjoy the peoples assets so in return they have to tell us what the problem is. After that give her space and just leave her alone.

[@drmagnificentdesigncontrap3377]

Surely 1 reason the press made such a big deal of the photo was to get more headlines?

[@ROSEMARYHEATHER-m7h]

THE COUNTRY, WANTS IT'S COUNTRY BACK!

[@MarkInOxford]

30party Anderson has a thin skin only rivalled by Boris and Sunak.

[@Alexander-uj5pb]

Lee --- a bauble, what an apt and wonderful description of anderson.

[@DRKrust492]

"I want my country back." Translation; "Only Whites Allowed."

[@colinnewmarch1106]

No it's not, it's about integration ,it's about those coming here respect our values ,culture and traditions ,we have welcomed many over the years and are happy to do do

[@buntyjoy1800]

​@@colinnewmarch1106Nah!

[@hg82met]

@@colinnewmarch1106 What values?

[@andybrice2711]

​@@hg82met Democracy, common law, due process, freedom of religion, and freedom of expression are probably the paramount values which people should be obliged to abide by if they want to live here.

[@GorgeDawes]

If we want newcomers to the UK to uphold those values then it would be helpful if the party of government could be bothered to at least pretend to be interested in upholding them too.

[@gadd10]

This may be the most out of touch conversation that has ever existed. Incredible stuff.

[@stephenwise2735]

Masterful understatement in describing him as faintly rediculous

[@user-ez8bx6ly8v]

The Tories just can't call a duck 🦆 even though it's a duck 🦆

[@miasan3528]

Lewis is on the right side of this royal photo incident.

[@patrickjoseph-q4k]

Lee in 1067 - after immigrants arrive speaking French and show love for Normandy - ''I want my country back!'

[@DonnQuaydeich]

This is literally one of the worst examples. The normans oppressed and slaughtered thousands. They also set in the deep class system we still see today and knocked back womens rights. Without them wed be like denmark.

[@laurenceskinnerton73]

Unbelievable!

[@vincelicata5880]

Can some one please explain what this means. What does wanting your country back mean. Back from whom. Who has taken it, and what will it look like when he’s for it back. What is this vision for taking the country back.

[@jameshogben2243]

Lee Anderson is the epitome of ideology. It's just not a coherent or stable one. He believes that he has access to an absolute and pure reality which the rest of us don't. And I get the sense Lewis could work on the empathy.

[@craigmilsom5209]

Country hasn't gone anywhere!

[@DonnQuaydeich]

Ask literally anyone and they would all say the same thing. Its gone to the dogs. We all know it. Once incompetence sets in, all the sewers stop working, the nhs stops working, all the roads stop working, the insurance industry stops working. Then youll see that we are now basically living in india.

[@barnaclefelching4079]

Is he for real? My eyes won't stop rolling

[@anindyamajumdar4088]

He wants his"country back", ??? Did he gamble it away , or drop it somewhere?🤔

[@gretareinarsson7461]

What country is that? Looking at LA and the politics he has chosen to follow, it’s not a country of decency and openness and compassion.

[@woodennecktie]

As for Anderson , he is just a pion in the bigger play , and altough beaten from the table still mumbling away from the board

[@Rondoggy67]

Unless Lee Anderson has a time machine to take him back to 1930s-40s Germany, he won’t be getting “his country” back.

[@tonyduncan9852]

If you have neither a property nor deposit account, then *_you never had_* a "country" in the first place. Yet you exist . . .

[@taekwanlew]

He has a soul?

[@alexanderprice6612]

As a Millenial I feel like I've never had my country. All the wealth was handed straight to the Boomers.

[@midlandgeordie]

Has anyone asked him how much he has been paid to jump ship!!

[@user-ez8bx6ly8v]

Gone from 30 p to 3 party's

[@brumman2623]

Lee Anderson speaks for the majority on British people unlike the woke failures on this channel,

[@jonm7272]

Funny how he's not brave enough to go to the polls after his party defection to test that assumption.

[@tamhunter5025]

Its not a county it a land mass his country is not my country..he lives in his head

[@grahamhorne6956]

30p Leenoch. What a joke.

[@Risingtide930]

Ok, own up! Who has taken Lee’s country?

[@bristolcity3404]

Why are they just slagging off lee and reform I share and lots share his and their views

[@mrelba9176]

Who WAS laughing? I loved how mad he got about that, hahaha!

[@Tom_murray89]

The tories have had their day

[@iainhardie4117]

I share the views in so many of these comments, but the last thing we should be doing is laughing at him. The start of this podcast could be in a Reform election broadcast. We shouldn't forget that if we had PR as in Europe, Reform would have 10-15% of seats. In the US their friends could be in the White House again. It's not only the Tories they threaten.

[@DonnQuaydeich]

Why do you support this country effectively becoming Karachi with rain? I just dont get it. If you have a family and children, you want them to be a minority and their lives to be less safe and worse. You want them to discriminated in hiring because they're white. You want them to be victims of religious hatred just like christians in all sections of the muslim world. And yet you call other people dangerous?

[@nigelbradshaw1948]

#AsThickAsMince

[@SlowhandGreg]

Anyone any idea how hard it was in the 50's? My Mum and Dad worked 6 days a week, no poping down to the coop for a bottle of proseco, we'd maybe go to a Toby carvery once a year prawn cocktail and a babycham for the ladies

[@DonnQuaydeich]

Yet people werent throwing themselves under train tracks right and left. People still had families, tight knit communities, a common culture, a place they felt proud of.

[@simonmcglary]

I’ve noticed those who are coming from the same place as 3 party Lee are also uncomfortable with “progressive” ideas. Surely, progressive ideas are what takes a country forward, and in a progressive world it’s about being actively involved in as many useful international organisations as can make a difference. You can’t make changes by running away, you run head on with as many others as you can take with you!

[@out-side-in]

Graphic designers doctor tons of images in their working careers- in this instance it will have been done to capture the best faces from a series of images taken at the same shoot. All PR photos are doctored- that’s all of them!

[@RadioFirestage558]

“We’ve come a long, long way from Diana being chased by paps through a tunnel” All due respect Jon, but we haven’t.

[@rowejon]

Offer him Rockall.

[@user-ez8bx6ly8v]

😅😅😅😅😅 all of us

[@jan1babs]

Sinai has no political judgement.

[@Catmadjen---1974]

Lee Anderson only cares about lee anderson

[@midlandgeordie]

What type of car insurance does he have???

[@michaelmouse4024]

Lee Anderson - the Jimmy Savile of politics. Over-rated, loud, tory nitwit. If he was asked to spell AC/DC he couldn't

[@michaelmouse4024]

​@SilverbackMattntysu5myjd

[@joetrent4753]

Anyone saying 'I want my country back' or something similar is almost always referring to a time when LGBTQ was illegal and casual racism and sexism was rife. Saying that, what the heck does 'I want my country back' even mean? Back to where exactly? When was the UK ever at a time where everything was great and everyone was happy? I want a country free from the stranglehold of the Tories and rightwing media and where all people are given a fair chance in life. I can't think of any time in our history where we've ever had that, nor can I ever see us truly getting that, sadly.

[@carysnw1]

IN RE: Royal Family, Lewis = 100 percent

[@RedBrigades]

Lee anderson the scab. He has no soul.

[@Murffytalk]

Gosh! Lee might turn full circle and become a Socialist.

[@progpuss]

Lee Anderson is a complete dodgy change with the wind thing. I can't call him anything as he hasn't the intelligence to attach an adjective to his name

[@martinamckeown.4936]

Absolutely love yous 3😂

[@Daithai96]

I'm feeling a little bit sorry for the photo editor, who is, no doubt, currently searching Indeed or CV-Library.