A Doncaster MP has rebuffed calls for him to follow his “great friend” Lee Anderson and defect to Reform UK.
Speaking to GB News last week, Nick Fletcher, MP for Don Valley, said he would continue to stand by the Conservative Party.
This came as Mr Anderson, who previously served as the Conservatives’ Deputy Chair, became Reform UK’s first MP last week after losing the Conservative whip.
When asked about his political future, Mr Fletcher said: “My constituents voted for a Conservative candidate and they will keep a Conservative candidate until the next election.”
Both Mr Fletcher and Mr Anderson were elected as part of the ‘Red Wall’ at the 2019 General Election, the latter for the Nottinghamshire constituency of Ashfield.
They have worked closely together in the years since, with Mr Anderson speaking to the Don Valley Conservative Association back in February as a guest of Mr Fletcher.
The Don Valley MP also defended Mr Anderson, following his suspension from the Conservatives due to alleged Islamophobic comments he made towards the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan.
“I have been very fortunate to have known Lee Anderson for four years,” Mr Fletcher said on X, “he is a great friend and not a racist.”
According to the Doncaster Free Press, some of Mr Fletcher’s constituents have urged him to follow in Mr Anderson’s footsteps and join Reform UK.
The party, formerly known as the Brexit Party, rose to national attention when former UKIP leader, Nigel Farage, became leader in March 2019.
The party returned the largest number of British seats in the 2019 European Parliament elections before unilaterally deciding not to contest Conservative-held seats at the 2019 election.
This was seen as a huge contributing factor to the Conservatives winning an 80 seat majority.
Mr Fletcher said: “I wish Lee all the best. He’s a good friend and a very good MP, and I’m sorry he has gone but I won’t be following.”
