MP’S wife suspended by Conservatives in campaign photo row
ASHFIELD MP Lee Anderson’s wife has been suspended by the Conservative Party.
Sinead Anderson is a senior Conservative member of Nottinghamshire County Council but a photograph reportedly shows her campaigning for Reform UK.
The Mirror reports that, if Mrs Anderson is found to have campaigned for a rival party, it would be a breach of party rules.
The move comes after Mr Anderson last month defected from the Tories to Reform. However, his wife remained a councillor representing the Conservative group. A picture posted by Mr Anderson on Twitter last Saturday appears to show Mrs Anderson in the background of a group campaigning for Alan Graves, Reform’s candidate in the East Midlands mayoral election, the Mirror said.
The door-knocking session took days just days before Mr Anderson announced a “non-aggression pact” with former Tory colleague Ben Bradley – who is standing for the Tories in the same election. It would be the fourth job for Mr Bradley, who is also the MP for Mansfield, a councillor and leader of Nottinghamshire County Council.
A Conservative Party spokesperson said: “Mrs Anderson has been suspended pending investigation. The Conservative Party has a robust complaints process in place. This process is rightly a confidential one, so that complainants can come forward in confidence.”
Approached for comment by the Sunday Mirror, Mr Anderson did not deny it was his wife in the picture, instead repeatedly asking: “How do you know it’s her?”
He suggested the newspaper publish the story, and that he would “have some fun” afterward. Mrs Anderson did not respond to requests for comment.
Steve Carr, an independent councillor on the county council, asked the local party to confirm whether Mrs Anderson would remain a member of their group.
A member of the Tories’ disciplinary team replied: “Thank you for submitting your complaint to the Member Governance Team. I can confirm that it has been safely received and is currently being reviewed.”
Councillor Carr said: “Councillor Sinead Anderson is a senior member of Nottinghamshire County Council and it is only right that is being looked into.
“People have a right to know whether such a senior Conservative, making key decisions over our children’s education is actively supporting Reform and their controversial views.”
If she was actively campaigning against her own council leader, it was “a matter for Ben Bradley”, he added.
Mrs Anderson receives £28,209.78 a year as a county councillor and £12,314.82 a year as deputy cabinet member for children and families – one of the most senior roles on the council.