Lee Anderson ordered to apologise for swearing at guard

Lee Anderson has been ordered to apologise for breaching Parliament’s bullying and harassment policy after twice swearing at a security officer.

An investigation found the Reform UK MP for Ashfield “verbally insulted” the guard twice when asked to show his pass as he tried to enter the Parliamentary estate in November 2023.

Anderson initially dismissed the allegations and called the investigation biased but later admitted using inappropriate language, citing “challenging personal circumstances” that day.

Following the ruling by the Independent Expert Panel, Anderson apologised to the Commons and the officer, telling MPs “such behaviour on my part will never happen again”.

The security officer reported that Anderson swore at him, saying “everyone opens the door to me” when asked to show his pass at an entrance into the Parliamentary estate.

When the guard repeated that the pass had to be examined, Anderson swore again before leaving claiming he had “a train to catch”.

Anderson, who switched to Reform UK in March after being elected as a Tory in 2019, initially denied swearing and called the exchange “just two grown men having a difference of opinion”.

But Parliament’s standards commissioner upheld the complaint against him.

Anderson appealed to the Independent Expert Panel, arguing that “there is absolutely no evidence to prove or disprove” what words he used, as the CCTV footage of the incident did not have sound.

The panel dismissed his claim and ordered him to deliver a pre-agreed apology in the Commons and in writing to the security officer.

The panel accepted Anderson’s evidence that he had faced “challenging personal circumstances” on the day and his “unacceptable behaviour was not planned or premeditated”.

In its report, the watchdog pointed to the “power imbalance” between the MP and the officer, reminding that Parliament’s code forbids misuse of influence.

Speaking in the Commons, Anderson said he accepted the findings “in full and without reservation”.

Making his statement to MPs, Anderson said: “I would like to apologise to the complainant and to this House for my behaviour.

“Our security staff do an incredible job and should always be treated with the utmost of respect.

“I give you and this House my firm assurance that I have learned significant lessons through this process and a firm undertaking that such behaviour on my part will never happen again.”