Lee Anderson, the newly appointed deputy chairman of the Conservative Party, has expressed support for the reintroduction of the death penalty in the UK. In an interview with The Spectator conducted before his appointment, Anderson argued that 'nobody has ever committed a crime after being executed.'
Anderson, MP for Ashfield, suggested that heinous crimes where perpetrators are clearly identifiable, such as the murder of Fusilier Lee Rigby in 2013, should be punishable by death. He stated: 'You'll get the certain groups saying: 'You can never prove it.' Well, you can prove it if they have videoed it and are on camera - like the Lee Rigby killers. I mean: they should have gone, same week. I don't want to pay for these people.'
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak distanced himself and the government from Anderson's stance, saying: 'That's not my view, that's not the government's view.' Labour accused Sunak of not being strong enough to stand up to what it called Anderson's 'nonsense.'
The death penalty for murder was permanently abolished in the UK in 1965, and for all crimes in 1998. The UK is also a signatory to the European Convention on Human Rights, which forbids its restoration. However, a recent YouGov survey indicated that 30% of people support reintroduction for all murder cases, rising to 52% for multiple murder.
Professor Tim Bale from Queen Mary University of London noted that Anderson was 'almost certainly speaking for the majority of Conservative members,' citing a survey where 53% agreed that 'for some crimes, the death penalty is the most appropriate sentence.' Tory MP Michael Fabricant said it was 'actually quite healthy' for Anderson to hold differing views, while Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt defended him.
