Lee Anderson has aimed a furious broadside at former footballer and now pundit Gary Neville over his claim that “angry, middle-aged white men” were sowing division in the wake of last week’s terrorist attack on a Manchester synagogue. Two people died and three more were seriously injured during Thursday’s attack on the Yom Kippur services at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Crumpsall, north Manchester.
Syrian-born Jihad Al-Shamie, 35 and on bail for rape, rammed his vehicle into the building, and stabbed several worshippers, before being shot dead by police. Reacting to Neville’s three-minute clip, Mr Anderson, the Reform UK MP for Ashfied, said: “So @GNev2 is asking why people are now flying the union flag in their towns.
“I’ll tell you why – people feel threatened and feel they have not been listened to for decades. You had no problem in playing in front of the England flag.
“And the middle aged English men you talk about are the same type men that paid your wages.”
Mr Anderson concluded: “I believe in free speech but on this occasion just shut up. You are completely out of touch.”
Former Manchester United and England right-back Neville, a Sky Sports pundit earning £1.1 million annually and co-owner of Salford City FC, filmed his clip while walking Manchester streets, just a mile from the scene.
Describing having seen “50 or 60 Union Jack flags”, he said: “We are all being turned against each other and division that’s being created is absolutely disgusting, mainly created by angry middle-aged white men who know exactly what they’re doing.
“Funnily enough from one of my development sites last week, there was a Union Jack flag put up and I took it down instantly.”
The 50-year-old, who admitted to removing a Union Jack placed on one of his development sites recently, continued: “The Union Jack flag being used in a negative fashion is not right and I’m proud supporter of England Great Britain about country and we’re championing it anywhere in the world.
“This has been one of the greatest places to live but I think we need check ourselves.
“The messaging is getting extremely dangerous with all these idiots that are out there spreading hate speech.”
Mourners this weekend paid tribute to Melvin Cravitz, 66, from Crumpsall, who died after he helped to prevent Jihad Al-Shamie from entering the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue as the attack unfolded on Thursday.
His family said he was a man who “would do anything to help anyone”.
Adrian Daulby, 53, also died. Marc Levy, chief executive of the Jewish Representative Council of Greater Manchester, remembered the two men at an event in Manchester on Sunday marking the second anniversary of the October 7 terrorist attack in Israel.
Three men remain in hospital with serious injuries, including a security guard with car-impact injuries and a Community Security Trust (CST) worker with stab wounds.
Four people arrested on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts remain in custody after police were granted a further five days to question them on Saturday.
Alan Levy, chairman of the trustees of Heaton Park Synagogue, told Sky News how worshippers held the synagogue doors closed as Al-Shamie tried to force his way inside.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the attack raises deep questions about community relations in the UK.
She told the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme: “I am very worried about the state of community relations in our country. I know I, as the Home Secretary, have a responsibility to think about the action the Government can take to strengthen our communities, to make sure people are well integrated into our society.”
Express.co.uk has contacted Gary Neville for comment.