Lee Anderson jokes 'my phone is on fire' as Tories beg him to make major election move

Tories have contacted Lee Anderson urging Reform not to stand candidates in their constituencies, the former Conservative MP has claimed in a TV interview.

He joked his phone has "been on fire" since Nigel Farage announce his return to frontline politics as Reform's leader and a candidate in Clacton.

The deadline for candidates is this Friday. Asked if he was expecting more Tory defections, Mr Anderson said: "I'm not. There has been conversations this week.

"My phone has been on fire since Monday. Lots of calls and text messages from colleagues who are very concerned about losing their seats."

He added: "But I think it's a case if they're going to go down with the ship. They see the writing on the wall and they're not prepared to make the punch.

"It's a shame really because there's lots of good Conservative MPs still in the party who deserve to be in Parliament at the next election.

"But the way things are going, they won't be there sadly."

When GB News pressed the former Tory MP on whether he was getting calls about possible defections, he added: "They've been calling me saying things like 'please don't stand in my area, in my constituency, we are good people.

"We're on the same page. We need to be sat on the green benches in opposition come July. But I'm sorry, it is what it is. The Conservstive Party has let the country down. No 10 has let the country down.

"I think there's going to be a bit of a bloodbath, a political bloodbath come July 4, and sadly some of my colleagues are going to be looking for work."

A new poll by YouGov carried out before Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer's TV debate on Tuesday put Labour on 40 percent with the Conservatives on 19 percent.

In a blow to the Tories, Reform were just two points behind on 17 percent, while the Lib Dems were on 10 percent and Greens seven percent.