It’s day five of the Lee Anderson debacle and the row shows no signs of abating. Rishi Sunak is having to defend from both sides his decision to withdraw the whip from the red wall MP – who represents the marginal seat of Ashfield – after Anderson used a GB News appearance to say that ‘Islamists have got control’ of London mayor Sadiq Khan, who had given the city away to ‘his mates’.

The problem is that the current media circus means that the chance of a reconciliation is dwindling – and fast

As well as suspending Anderson, Sunak has described the comments as ‘wrong’ – adding that he does not think Anderson is ‘a racist person’. Those on the left want Sunak to go further – with Labour going on the attack on the grounds that the Prime Minister has refused to call Anderson’s intervention Islamophobic. But on the other side, Sunak is under pressure from the right of his party for failing to get the balance right and to offer much support to his former colleague.

In yet another interview with GB News (the channel pays Anderson £100,000 a year for hosting a show), the former Tory deputy chairman has criticised the Tories for not showing him a ‘bit more backing’. In a thinly veiled swipe, Suella Braverman has condemned the current row over Islamophobia in the Conservative party as ‘hysteria’ and called on Sunak to focus on Islamic extremism. Those close to her suggest that the former home secretary thinks it was an overreaction by the government to remove the Whip from Anderson.

As for the rest of the party, many take the view that as soon as Anderson made the comments Sunak was in a no-win situation. If Anderson still had the whip, there would be growing pressure – including from the One Nation wing of the Tory party – to discipline him. Government aides argue they would also have lost any moral high ground over Labour after its Rochdale candidate debacle, which saw the Labour candidate belatedly axed following comments on Israel. Parliamentary allies of Anderson also believe his comments crossed a line by making it about Khan on a personal level.

Despite all this, a significant number of Tory MPs want a path back for Anderson. This is particularly strongly felt among the 2019 intake – where Anderson is very popular, even with MPs in the blue wall. ‘He is a very well liked colleague,’ says one such Tory MP. MPs also believe Anderson’s general point, that recent pro-Palestine marches suggest this group can do what they want with little fear of punishment, will chime with their voters.

The problem is that the current media circus means that the chance of a reconciliation is dwindling – and fast. Over the weekend, the initial suggestion was that Anderson would rebuff any attempts by the Reform party to recruit him and have him cross the floor. But last night, Anderson would not rule out the possibility when pressed by GB News – he would only say that he had ‘been on a political journey’. As one MP puts it: ‘It’s like a slow motion car crash. If he defects to Reform, we are in serious trouble’.