Lee Anderson has called for Sir Keir Starmer to sack a Labour MP after he claimed Nigel Farage would be on Jimmy Savile’s “side” when it comes to online child abuse. The Reform UK MP for Ashfield said in a post on social media that the Prime Minister should get rid of Peter Kyle after the ridiculous comments.
Mr Kyle, the Labour MP for Hove and Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, told Sky News host Wilfred Frost that Mr Farage’s opposition to the Online Safety Act means he is “on the side of turning the clock back to when strange adults can get in touch via messaging apps with children.” He added: “If people like Jimmy Saville were alive today, he would be perpetrating his crimes online. And Nigel Farage is saying that he’s on their side, not the side of the children.”
Mr Anderson has since called out the comments, demanding that Mr Kyle is sacked from the Labour Party. He said there is “no room” for “divisive politics” in Britain.
He said in a post on X: “Dog Whistle Politics. It’s time for @Keir_Starmer to sack Peter Kyle. There should be no room in British politics for this type of divisive politics. The man cannot even apologise.”
It comes after Mr Farage slammed the comments as “disgusting”. The Reform leader said on X: “Peter Kyle’s comments on Sky News are disgusting. He should do the right thing and apologise.”
At the time, Sky News host Mr Frost interjected: “I am going to ask you to clarify, do you honestly think Nigel Farage is on Jimmy Savile’s side?”
The Labour MP replied: “When it comes to online activity, we have seen unfettered access of adults to children via social media. When we put in the age verification, it stops. It’s strange adults getting in touch with children.”
He later doubled down on X, posting: “If you want to overturn the Online Safety Act you are on the side of predators. It is as simple as that.”
Reform UK’s Zia Yusuf dubbed Mr Kyle’s comments as “outrageous and disgusting”. He also demanded an apology from the Labour MP.
Mr Yusuf said on Sky News: “Levelling that allegation – talking about Jimmy Savile in that way – does nothing other than denigrate the victims of Jimmy Savile.
“This is a political party that is collapsing in the polls at historic speed, a Prime Minister whose approval is collapsing at historic speed, all they have left is trying to censor British people and insult their opponents in the most disgusting way.
“To use that allegation against Nigel is one of the most appalling and disgusting things I’ve seen in the political arena and it’s on him to apologise.”