Lee Anderson believes the political shift that powered Donald Trump’s US Presidential win could be repeated in the next UK election.
The ex-Tory deputy chairman, who jumped ship to ’s party in the summer, compared the Republican Party candidate’s support in post-industrial areas of the US to the embrace of Reform in Britain’s traditional Labour Party working class strongholds, known as the ‘Red Wall’.
“I think the voters who voted for Trump have got a lot in common with people in the Red Wall,” he told the Express.
“I think if Trump stood in [Anderson’s constituency and former mining town] Ashfield he’d win and if he stood in the Red Wall he’d win because he speaks to working people.
“He talks about ‘making this country great again’, controlling his borders, putting American people first, giving coal miners new jobs [and] backing steelworkers.
Donald Trump gained support in many post-industrial working class areas (Image: Getty)
“You know there were no wars when he was in. [People] keep saying [he was] a warmonger [but] it was quite the opposite.
“He’s confrontational, but he’s strong. And for a country like that, you need a strong leader. You need to know he’s going to stick up for you and not bend down to these other countries. That’s what we want [In Britain].”
The Red Wall is a term used in British politics to describe the UK Parliament constituencies in the Midlands and Northern England that have historically supported the Labour Party. These constituencies include towns and cities such as Mansfield, Stoke, Middlesbrough, Walsall, Workington and Wakefield.
Anderson said he believes a Trump presidency that delivers on its promises of economic prosperity will increase the momentum behind Reform.
“We are always a few years beyond America aren’t we?” Anderson added. “We’ve got a much better culture, but in politics, innovation and industry we are a little bit behind.
“If he has a good four years, which I think he will, people, especially in places like this, are going to be looking, thinking ‘he’s doing all right’.
“All these idiots say he’s not a clever man, but he is.”
Lee Anderson has backed Donald Trump to have a successful presidency (Image: Pete Jenkins)
Anderson was speaking to the Express during an and hometown of Ashfield-in-Sutton where he claimed people were “fed up” with being ignored by “out of touch” political elites in Westminister and branded “racist” for having concerns over immigration.
The straight-talking Nottinghamshire MP also on suggesting on social media that to be Reform leader.
“I thought he’d been hacked when I first saw it,” Anderson said. “We’d been bigging him up, saying it’s great to have Elon on board and the next minute he starts putting these random tweets out.
“But he went through a period last week where he attacked every political leader. He wasn’t singling anybody out, although he was giving Starmer a lot of stick, and rightly so. It was entertaining.”