‘He’s very controversial, isn’t he?’: how Lee Anderson’s constituents reacted to his comments about Sadiq Khan

Michael Swain in Kirkby-in-Ashfield: ‘He just said his opinion, but it hasn’t fallen on the right ears and it’s upset people.’ Photograph: Christopher Thomond/The Guardian

In his Nottinghamshire constituency, Lee Anderson has long been considered a Marmite character, attracting staunch supporters and vehement critics alike, and the reaction to his latest comments proved no different.

Some said they felt Anderson had been punished unfairly for his statements about the London mayor on Friday, which have been labelled Islamophobic and led to him losing the Conservative whip. Others said they were horrified by his words and believed his suspension from the Tory party had been a long time coming.