Lee Anderson accuses Keir Starmer of 'chucking petrol on the fire' in epic rant
Lee Anderson says the Labour Government can fill up Britain's jails - but the rising "bitterness" among its citizens will not go away.
Sir Keir Starmer ‘might as well have chucked petrol on the fire’ with his comments in the days after Britain was rocked by widespread rioting, Lee Anderson has blasted - with the outspoken Reform UK MP telling the Prime Minister: "This is at your door."
Violence flared in multiple locations last week, with mobs surrounding two hotels believed to be accommodating asylum seekers, in Rotherham and Tamworth, attempting to set fire to both.
Mr Starmer himself has said those responsible will face the “full force of the law”, singling out what he called "far-right thuggery”.
However, Mr Anderson, speaking on GB News, took the PM to task as he claimed Parliament itself was to blame for the public disorder - while backing his own party leader.
He said: “The people that are to blame for the riots are Parliament, and Nigel Farage touches on this every single day. He talks about the effects of mass legal migration, he talks about the effects of mass illegal migration.”
Referring to his own constituency, Mr Anderson continued: “The problems we're having at the moment, which are shocking, are going to continue to happen unless we get to the nub of the problem and start having serious conversations with people in places like Ashfield and some of the places around the country that suffer these awful riots.
“We've seen Starmer last week make this ridiculous speech on the steps of Downing Street. What did he do? He might as well have chucked a bucket of petrol over a fire, because it's just exploded over the past seven days.”
Dismissing Sir Keir’s denial that “two-tier policing” was in operation, Mr Anderson continued: “We are turning a blind eye to certain demographics in this country, and focusing all our attention, all our policing resources, on to another group of people.
“Yes, these people who are committing horrible crimes and damaging stuff and setting fire to cars and vehicles and buses and hotels. They need locking up, but it's got to be fair policing. At the moment, it doesn't look fair to me.
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“This is at Starmer’s door. He just keeps saying over the past week, it's far-right thugs. Yes, there are some far-right thugs out there on the streets. We know that. But a lot of people are just disaffected people, especially young men in this country.
“They’ve had enough, they don't see a decent future for themselves and their friends.”
The first rioters were jailed this week - but Mr Anderson insisted it would not matter how many were sent to prison.
He explained: "This problem will continue to happen. It's dividing the country. It's alright appeasing one section of society, which Starmer has done at the moment, but he's actually divided the country.
“And this undercurrent is going to be there for a long, long time. And I fear for the future of this country.”
Also speaking yesterday, Primer Minister Sir Keir said there was no room for complacency.
He added: "It's important I repeat that because we need to make sure that in the coming days we can give the necessary reassurance to our communities, many of whom - I've been talking to some this morning - are very anxious about the situation."
