Lee Anderson, MP for Ashfield in Nottinghamshire and a former miner, has been appointed as the Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party under new Chairman Greg Hands.
He has a history of making controversial statements such as criticising footballers for taking the knee and claiming that poor people who use foodbanks "cannot budget".
Some fellow Tory MPs are said to be less than enthusiastic about his appointment.
Anderson is well-liked by Tory grassroots and was recently named as the favourite backbencher of members surveyed by ConservativeHome.
Lee Anderson, a controversial Tory MP with a history of making divisive statements, has been appointed as the Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party by Rishi Sunak in a Cabinet reshuffle.
Despite attracting criticism for his comments, Anderson is popular with Tory grassroots and was recently named as the favourite backbencher of members who were surveyed by the website ConservativeHome.
He has faced criticism over his views on footballers taking the knee and claims that poor people who use food banks "cannot budget.
" However, the Independent notes that he has been welcomed by the Tory grassroots, while The Guardian says that some Tory MPs are less than enthusiastic about his new role.
Anderson's appointment has been seen as a sign that Sunak is trying to appease hardliners in his party.