Conservative MP Lee Anderson claims he was 'guaranteed' job to defect

Lee Anderson is the Conservative MP for Ashfield, in Nottinghamshire

Conservative Party deputy chairman Lee Anderson claims he was offered a financial incentive to defect to another party.

Mr Anderson alleges he was offered a job worth the equivalent of five years of an MP's salary in the event he switched but failed to win re-election.

Senior Conservative sources say Mr Anderson told them he had been approached by Reform UK.

Its leader Richard Tice has denied he offered any MP any money.

Mr Anderson issued a statement addressing the claims after they were first reported by the Sunday Times.

The newspaper acquired a leaked recording of Mr Anderson saying at an event: "There is a political party that begins with an R that offered me a lot of money to join them. I say a lot of money, I mean a lot of money."

It said the comment was made by the Tory MP for Ashfield at a South Cambridgeshire Conservative Association event last month.

Mr Tice was asked about the Sunday Times report on Sunday with Laura Kuenssburg, and said he has had "numerous discussions with Tory MPs" but denied offering any money.

• Tories imitating our policies, says Reform UK leader

• Farage leaves door open to re-joining Tories

• Lee Anderson: The outspoken MP made Tory deputy chair

He then accused Mr Anderson of using "the threat of defecting to Reform to negotiate" his role as deputy chairman of the Tory party.

Mr Anderson said the allegations over how he got the senior party job made by Mr Tice are "simply ridiculous".

In a statement issued to GB News - which he is also employed by - on Sunday evening, Mr Anderson clarified the nature of the offer he was allegedly made to defect.

He said: "From time to time politicians do meet other politicians from different political parties.

"At one such meeting I was offered the chance to join another party for the following deal - I join within a few months and stand for this Party at the next election.

"If I lost my seat I would be guaranteed a job with the party for five years on the same salary as an MP. To falsely claim that I used this as leverage to get the position of deputy chairman is an insult to me and my party."

BBC News has approached Mr Tice for further comment in light of Mr Anderson's intervention.

An MP's salary from April 2023 is £86,584.

Businessman Richard Tice is the leader of Reform UK

Mr Anderson did not specifically name the party involved in his lengthy statement, but did criticise Mr Tice for his leadership of Reform UK.

The BBC has been told Mr Anderson contacted Tory Party officials with the allegation in February and they contacted the party's chief whip.

Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle was then informed.

A parliamentary official said: "The party should now pass any evidence it might have to the police which is the appropriate authority to deal with it."

Reform UK was founded with support from ex-UKIP leader Nigel Farage in 2018 and has only taken a small proportion of the vote in recent by-elections.

However, some Tories are worried the party could capitalise on concern over record levels of migration, as well as the number of people crossing the Channel in small boats.