Two tales of maverick MPs, both incredibly popular with the party membership but both forced out because they represented a challenge to the leader’s authority and were considered too outspoken and too rightwing.
One man links both those tales - Ashfield MP Lee Anderson. In 2024 he was the maverick MP ousted from Rishi Sunak’s Tories by an unbending chief whip. But in 2025 he is the party chief whip forcing the latest outspoken right winger Rupert Lowe out of Reform.
