Lee Anderson, left, was due to be a ‘guest of honour’

LEE Anderson MP was due to appear as one of the guests of honour at the launch of the new Queen’s Park and Maida Vale Conservative Association.

He was billed alongside historian David Starkey, Kensington MP Felicity Buchan and the former EU minister Lord Frost at a “grand ceremony” at a location kept secret until shortly before.

Party members had been offered the chance to pay a £30 ticket for a glass of bubbly, assorted canapés and chance to win “excellent” raffle prizes.

But with the whip removed following the row over accusations against him, Mr Anderson’s name and image were hastily removed from the invitation list on Saturday morning.

The Labour leader of Westminster City Council Adam Hug said of Mr Anderson that he was confident residents of the newly-formed constituency did “not share his values”.

But Samia Hersi, the Conservative parliamentary candidate for the new constituency of Maida Vale and Queen’s Park, res­ponded by saying: “I am a Muslim and so are my family. I understand that probably doesn’t matter to you as you’re seeking to make a cheap shot to support your parliamentary candidacy. I do not agree nor condone with what Lee said whatsoever and he should apologise.”

The new constituency is replacing Westminster North, which has been held by Labour’s Karen Buck since 1997.

She announced she was stepping down last month due to the ill health of her husband Barrie Taylor, who has died and whose funeral is next week.

Ms Hersi says on her campaign website that her parents came to this country as Somali refugees and that her father was a bus driver. Having worked for charities and helped out in the community, she now works in communications.

Mr Anderson has so far declined to apologise for his claims about “Islamists” having “got control” of London mayor Sadiq Khan, insisting it would be “a sign of weakness”.

In a row that has rumbled on all week, Sadiq Khan went on to criticise prime minister Rishi Sunak for failing to call out “anti-Muslim hatred” in the Conservative party.

While he might be out of favour with the party now, Mr Anderson has for a long time been one of its most potent fundraisers, often wheeled out at events to rally the big cheque-writers with his speak-your-mind- whatever-is-in-it style.

Last year he was a special guest at the Holborn & St Pancras Constituency Conservative Association.

At that time he was criticised for insisting people could avoid food banks if they learned how to cook.

Westminster City Council opposition group leader, Conservative Paul Swaddle, said he believed that anyone suspended by the party would become “barred from attending any meetings or events pending the outcome of the investigation for which they are suspended”.