Nick Ferrari cuts off minister who refuses to answer his questions nine times over Lee Anderson's 'Islamophobic remarks'

27 February 2024, 08:31 | Updated: 27 February 2024, 12:46

Nick Ferrari cuts of Illegal Immigration Minister after he refuses to confirm if Lee Anderson's

By Kieran Kelly

@kellyjourno

An exasperated Nick Ferrari cut his interview with a minister short this morning after he repeatedly failed to answer his questions about Lee Anderson's comments on Sadiq Khan.

Mr Anderson had the Conservative whip removed over the weekend after he claimed 'Islamists' had 'got control' of the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan.

Tory MPs, including the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, have admitted that what Mr Anderson said was "wrong" but have repeatedly refused to answer one question: was what Mr Anderson said Islamophobic?

That is what LBC's Nick Ferrari asked immigration minister Michael Tomlinson on multiple occasions this morning, but to no avail.

Asked by Nick why it was necessary to withdraw the whip from Mr Anderson, the illegal migration minister would only say: "It was wrong."

Nick then asked three times why Mr Anderson's comments were wrong, and three times whether they were Islamophobic before stopping the interview, saying: "Michael Tomlinson is a minister of state for illegal migration, unable to answer a question."

Illegal Migration Minister says 'more needs to be done' to stop the small boats

Initially answering why Mr Anderson's comments were wrong, Mr Tomlinson said: "Respectfully, I think what Lee said was wrong and as a result of what he said, he had the whip removed from him."

Nick then asked: "What was it specifically that mean the whip had to go? We agree it's wrong, but why was it wrong?"

The minister then replied: "Nick, it was wrong...what he said was wrong."

Read More: PM denies Tories have 'Islamophobic tendencies' as minister says Lee Anderson's comments were 'profoundly wrong'

Read More: Lee Anderson refuses to apologise for 'Islamist' comments as he doubles down on criticism of Sadiq Khan

Nick then tries again, asking Mr Tomlinson: "Yes but why was it wrong, is what I'm trying to get at."

"It was wrong, Nick, because of what he said," the minister said, before Nick cuts him off and says: "Let's try this a different way, was it Islamophobic?"

Mr Tomlinson replied: "What he said was wrong."

Nick then asks two more times whether Mr Anderson's comments were Islamophobic, to which Mr Tomlinson simply replied: "Nick it was wrong."

Nick then cut the interview short, saying: "Enough already."

Former Tory Part Chair Baroness Sayeeda Warsi speaks to Carol Vorderman

Pressure has been growing on Mr Sunak and the Tories to say whether Mr Anderson's comments were Islamophobic, including from those within the party.

Baroness Sayeeda Warsi told LBC's Carol Vorderman over the weekend: "It’s definitely not a party that I recognise - but it's not a party that so many of my colleagues recognise.

"I’ve had colleague on the phone in the last 48 hours just despairing. I’ve had very senior ex-Cabinet colleagues saying ‘they’re just jokers’.

"This is how bad it’s become."