Lee Anderson, the Reform UK MP for Ashfield, launched a fierce attack on Prime Minister Keir Starmer during an interview with the Express. He didn’t hold back, calling Starmer “evil” and accusing him of defending criminals rather than protecting ordinary British people.
The interview took place in Canary Wharf, London, an area that has recently seen tensions rise after asylum seekers were moved into the Britannia International Hotel. Protests have broken out there in recent weeks, some of them peaceful, but others turning chaotic when masked men set off flares and clashes erupted between anti-migrant groups and counter-protesters.
Anderson told the *Express*: “This Keir Starmer, in my opinion, is evil. If you speak out against him, he’ll put you in prison. We saw that with Lucy Connolly. He’s not on the side of normal people. He’s spent his whole career defending the wrong people, and now he’s putting them ahead of the best interests of Britain.”
The MP pointed to reports of asylum seekers being involved in crimes and argued that people were right to be worried, especially for the safety of women and girls. He said: “We read about it in the papers almost every week. Some of these men coming here are committing awful crimes against women and children. It’s disgusting. Yet instead of protecting our people, the government keeps inviting more of them in and placing them in our communities.”
The Britannia International Hotel became the center of protests after a group of young men, believed to be asylum seekers, were brought in from Essex. Pictures showed them arriving by bus in the early hours, some covering their faces as they entered. Earlier in Essex, similar protests erupted outside the Bell Hotel after an asylum seeker was charged with allegedly attempting to kiss a 14-year-old girl. That man, 38-year-old Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, denies the accusation and will face trial later this month.
Anderson also criticized the cost of housing asylum seekers, claiming it costs around £41,000 a year for each migrant. He questioned why the government was placing them in Canary Wharf, one of London’s most developed and heavily invested financial districts. He said: “Billions have been spent building up this area, creating beautiful buildings and new investments. And what do Starmer and the Mayor of London decide? To move illegal immigrants here. Just wait—you’ll see crime go through the roof.”
He also turned his criticism toward the police, saying some officers were adopting what he called “fascist-style” behavior. He described an incident during a march where an officer reportedly told people to report any fascists they saw. Anderson claimed: “It’s ironic because some of these officers themselves are acting more like fascists than anyone else.”
The MP concluded by insisting that the country needs a change of government, arguing that the system under Starmer is broken and putting British people at risk.
