Lee Anderson vows to 'fight back' as he blasts Labour's attacks on his working-class background: 'I'm public enemy number one!'

Lee Anderson vows to 'fight back' as he blasts Labour's attacks on his working-class background: 'I'm public enemy number one!'
Lee Anderson public political enemy number on
Dan Falvey

By Dan Falvey


Published: 21/02/2023

- 08:29

Updated: 21/02/2023

- 08:34

The Conservative MP said Labour was 'scared' of his backstory

Conservative party deputy chairman Lee Anderson told GB News the last two weeks have been "absolutely torrid" as he accused Labour of making him "public enemy number one".

The Ashfield MP, who was given his current role as deputy chairman by Rishi Sunak during his February 7 reshuffle, added that even his family and friends had been targeted since his promotion.


The MP has since faced backlash for controversial comments endorsing the return of the death penalty and an on air clash with a BBC journalist.

Anderson said he had been attacked in the media and by the Labour Party for being authentic and having a working class background.

Lee Anderson attacked the Labour Party for painting him as 'public enemy number one'
Lee Anderson attacked the Labour Party for painting him as 'public enemy number one'
GB News

He told GB News: "I’m the political public enemy number one for the Labour Party. They want my scalp; they're not having it. I will fight back.

"They’re scared because of my backstory. I’ve been that working-class person.

"You go over to that place there [Westminster] and you struggle to find a Labour politician or MP that’s actually had a real job in the real world.

"[Labour MPs] want to be working-class heroes and I’m struggling to find one that’s held down a proper job and wants to mix with us thick Northerners."

Anderson was a coal miner in Nottinghamshire for 10 years before entering politics.

He also served as a Labour councillor from 2015-18 before defecting to the Conservative party.

The MP said being asked to serve as Deputy Chairman by Sunak was an "honour and a privilege" and that he was able to "take the heat" of being in the spotlight.

"I’ve got broad shoulders," he said.

The Conservative MP said his family and friends had been impacted in recent weeks
The Conservative MP said his family and friends had been impacted in recent weeks
GB News

But opening up on the impact on those closer to him, he added: "It affects my mum, my dad, my family, even my friends who get in touch with me and say 'are you okay, I see what they are writing about you'.

"It's a lot of lies, they’re going to my village, my towns. They’re going into my pubs asking questions.

"The old lads I used to work with down the pits, they’re contacting them via Facebook and asking questions.

"You can imagine my pit mates and the response they usually get from them.

"It's usually a two-word response, one's got a couple of 'fs' at the end of it. It's been just relentless."

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