‘I Did Wrong’: Rwanda Rebel Lee Anderson Regrets Defecting On Vote, Wants His Old Job Back

Rwanda Bill rebel Tory MP and GB News host Lee Anderson told the Telegraph Wednesday he regretted not voting for the Rwanda Bill and said he would reassume his previous role as deputy Tory chair if Prime Minister Rishi Sunak beckons.

Anderson, who resigned his post on January 16 over amendments to toughen the Bill, admitted he should have “accepted democracy” and supported the government’s stance, despite his initial intent to oppose the legislation when the amendments failed – even resigning as deputy Tory chair in protest.

Speaking to the newspaper, Anderson urged fellow Conservatives to rally behind Sunak, saying the Conservative Party’s “only chance to win the next election is by keeping Rishi in No 10.”

Anderson’s efforts to get back into Sunak’s good graces comes as civil war within the party became public when Tory MP Simon Clarke told the Telegraph Tuesday that the party could face “extinction” unless Sunak resigns, going so far as to urge his party colleagues to sack him.

Anderson downplayed any chance of Sunak’s ousting before the next election and, instead, predicted a positive shift in public opinion with potential tax cuts in the upcoming Budget.

Reflecting on his decision to abstain from the Rwanda Bill vote, Anderson revised his retelling of his emotional struggle that prompted him to move from defecting to abstaining, feeling he had let his party down.

Anderson’s initial claim to GB News that he’d walked out of the ‘No’ lobby after Labour Party members in the ‘No’ lobby mocked him. On Wednesday he denied feeling embarrassed and told the Telegraph: “It wasn’t anything to do with running away or being scared. I’m the last person to be scared of stuff like that. It was a reminder that actually I was letting my colleagues down and I’m not going to give you the satisfaction, that sort of stuff.”

A former coal miner and Labour councillor, Anderson’s defection to the Tories in 2018 was significant for the party. His decision to resign over the Rwanda plan, a crucial element of Sunak’s strategy, made him one of the more notable rebels pushing back against the prime minister.

Despite this, Anderson insisted he remains committed to the Conservative Party, denying any intention to join Reform UK, affiliated with fellow GB News host Nigel Farage, and expressing gratitude for the opportunities the Tories provided.