A TORY MP has challenged Gary Neville to run against him in a General Election amid a row over the football pundit’s World Cup commentary.
The former Manchester United star used his platform on ITV’s broadcast to condemn a UK Government that he said was “demonising” NHS workers – drawing the ire of Conservative MP Lee Anderson.
Anderson, who won his “red wall” Ashfield seat in the Commons in the 2019 election, claimed he would put ITV on his “banned list” after Neville’s comments.
Commenting on workers’ rights in Qatar, the football pundit said: “It is abhorrent and we should detest low pay, we should detest poor accommodation and working conditions.
“That is something we can never ever accept in this region or in any region, and it is just worth mentioning we've got a current government in our country who are demonising rail workers, ambulance workers and, terrifyingly, nurses.”
Neville added: “We can't have people being paid an absolute pittance to work, we can't have people in accommodation which is unsavoury and disgusting. We can’t have that.
“That shouldn't happen here with the wealth that exists. But it shouldn't happen with the nurses in our country either where our nurses are having to fight for an extra pound or two pounds.”
Anderson responded angrily, accusing Neville of using the World Cup broadcast for “party political” purposes.
I’m glad you’re pissed off! The biggest set of charlatans to ever be in power!
— Gary Neville (@GNev2) December 18, 2022
He wrote: “Another party political broadcast by a millionaire. Looks like ITV is on my banned list now. Talk about football Gary and keep your nose out of politics. You don't know what you're talking about.”
Responding, the pundit wrote: “I’m glad you’re pissed off! The biggest set of charlatans to ever be in power!”
This led Anderson to challenge Neville to “come and stand against me at the next election”. He added: “Would love to see you debate with someone other than yourself.”
Neville replied: “You voted to stop children eating school meals in a pandemic! That ends any debate you will ever enter with anyone!”
He added elsewhere that he hopes Anderson “enjoys his last 18 months as an MP”.
With the Tories languishing in the polls, Anderson is unlikely to be able to hold onto his Ashfield constituency, which before 2019 had elected a Labour MP in every vote for 40 years.
Rishi Sunak also hit out at Neville for the comments, echoing Anderson in suggesting he should not talk about politics. "I think when most people are tuning in to watch Gary Neville they want to hear about the football and watch the football.
“They don’t want to discuss politics," the Prime Minister told the Daily Mail
A Downing Street spokesperson also claimed the comparison to workers' rights abuses in Qatar was not "legitimate".
In the run-up to Christmas, nurses, ambulance workers, rail workers, postal workers, security staff, Border Force staff, and staff working at the Department for Work and Pensions will all be taking strike action.
