Readers have expressed mixed views after Ashfield Tory MP Lee Anderson called for the death penalty to be brought back - then argued with a BBC Radio Nottingham presenter. The outspoken politician, who has just been made deputy Conservative Party chairman, hit the headlines when an interview emerged where he called for the death penalty to return.
Mr Anderson had said that "nobody has ever committed a crime after being executed" to justify his position. Asked whether he would support the return of the death penalty, Mr Anderson told weekly magazine The Spectator: "Yes." He added: "Nobody has ever committed a crime after being executed. You know that, don’t you? 100 per cent success rate."
Appearing on BBC Radio Nottingham, he was asked by presenter Verity Cowley about a video of him setting up a doorstep encounter during the 2019 election campaign. This resulted in an argument where Mr Anderson asked repeatedly if Cowley had ever told a lie.
Read more: Lee Anderson argues with Nottingham BBC presenter and asks if she's lied 10 times
Some Nottinghamshire Live readers - via our website and Facebook page - criticised Mr Anderson's recent actions, which have gained him nationwide news coverage. One reader said: "Speechless, and there's many of us in Ashfield who knew his beliefs. To think MPs go into schools as a role model!"
"He asked the the same question over and over, yet can't answer an awful lot," another reader said about the radio interview. One of our Facebook commenters said: "One of the worst political interviews in recent time. He couldn't answer the Qs directly, spoke about himself in glowing terms for most of the time, total arrogance."
Another reader simply said: "Can't stand him." A different reader added: "Retire, Lee, before you're sacked."
However, others backed the MP, with one reader commenting: "He is only saying what a lot us have been thinking for long time." Another said: "What a man! He's going to get a lot of backing from ordinary people… not the woke type."
One reader said: "One thing you definitely can't argue with is when he stated anyone over 30k does not need a food bank. Not unless they want free food so they have more money for flash holidays, flash cars and phones."
Another reader added: "Secondbest politician in Notts. Keep up the good work Mr Lee Anderson MP - you have 'em rattled."
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