The Lib Dems have been left humiliated this morning after their latest attention-seeking press stunt completely flopped.
24 hours ago with great fanfare, the party launched a new campaign against Lee Anderson, encouraging MPs to sign a parliamentary motion decrying his “Islamophobic comments”.
The Early Day Motion called on the Commons to censure the Ashfield MP, accusing his attack on the Mayor of London of being “Islamophobic, damaging, divisive and risk bringing the House collectively into disrepute”.
It added a final demand that Mr Anderson should come to the House and apologise for his remarks.
In a press release, the Lib Dems called on Conservative MPs and the Government to back the motion, adding that they “must show that Islamophobia is not tolerated in Parliament”.
Unfortunately for the party, not only did Conservative MPs fail to back the motion and “rebuke Islamophobia” but so did most Lib Dem MPs.
24 hours after publishing the EDM, just four of the party’s 15 MPs had bothered to sign the petition.
In addition, five MPs from other parties including Plaid Cymru, Alliance and the SNP backed the petition, bringing the total to nine MPs.
Asked by the Express whether this indicated an endorsement of Mr Anderson’s comments by the majority of Lib Dem MPs, a spokesperson argued their MPs “have been signing it, [however] the website just has not updated yet”.
Since approaching the party’s press officer, two additional Lib Dem MPs’ signatures have been added, however are noted as having signed it today rather than overnight.
The party’s leader, Sir Ed Davey, is yet to sign his party’s motion criticising Mr Anderson’s words.
