Lee Anderson kicked out of the Carlton Club

Lee Anderson has been kicked out of the Carlton Club following his defection to Reform UK.

The “Red Wall Rottweiler”, who joined Reform after being stripped of the Tory whip, has reportedly been asked to resign his membership of the club, which is seen as the spiritual home of the Conservative Party.

In order to be a member of the Carlton Club, founded in 1832, you have to be a Tory supporter.

Less than two months ago, Mr Anderson was a senior figure in the Conservative Party, serving as its deputy chairman, and seen as an electoral asset to Rishi Sunak.

But he quit the role so he could rebel on the Rwanda Bill, and was later sacked by the party altogether over an Islamophobia row, making him an Independent MP.

He announced his defection to Reform at a hastily arranged press conference on Monday morning, declaring: “I want my country back.”

It came just weeks after he said there was no conceivable world in which he would join the insurgent party.

The Carlton Club’s chairman, Lord Young of Cookham, wrote to Mr Anderson just hours after his defection to say he must resign his membership as he is now in “contravention” of his declaration of support for the Tories, according to The Express.

If he refuses to quit, he will be expelled in two weeks’ time.

In an email, the Tory peer is reported to have said: “I am writing as chairman of the Carlton Club to ask you to resign your membership.

“When you applied, you confirmed that you were a supporter of the Conservative Party. By joining a rival party, Reform, you are in contravention of that declaration.

“Should you not tender your resignation within seven days, the general committee will take steps to expel you when it meets on March 26th.”

The Georgian clubhouse, located a stone’s throw from Green Park, was founded as the original home of the Conservative Party before the days of CCHQ.

Members enjoy access to a selection of dining rooms, bars and accommodation, with rooms named after former prime ministers Margaret Thatcher, Winston Churchill and Benjamin Disraeli.

To apply, you must be supported by a proposer and seconder who are both members of the club, have been members for two years and have known you for two years.

The Carlton Club refused to comment.