Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy has condemned comments by Reform MP Sarah Pochin about television adverts featuring Black and Asian people, labelling them "flagrant racism." Writing in The Independent during Black History Month, Lammy warned that such remarks risk normalizing prejudice in Britain.
Pochin sparked outrage after telling a viewer on TalkTV: «It drives me mad when I see adverts full of black people, full of Asian people. It doesn't reflect our society, and I feel that your average white person, average white family is not represented anymore.» The MP for Runcorn and Helsby later said her comments were «phrased poorly» and apologized «for any offence caused,» claiming she meant adverts were «unrepresentative of British society.»
Lammy responded forcefully in his Independent piece, stating that many are «disgusted» by such rhetoric. He wrote: «They feel the peril of such comments becoming normalised and stand with us against the return of such flagrant racism.» The Deputy Prime Minister warned: «Some people would have us believe that we are more divided than we really are. They pit neighbour against neighbour, feeding fear and fuelling outrage.»
Farage defends MP
Reform leader Nigel Farage resisted calls to suspend Pochin from the party. He argued he did not believe her «intention» was «racist» and suggested her comments should be viewed in the context of «DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) madness.»
Lammy drew on personal experiences of racism in his youth, recalling being «terrified» of skinheads who «patrolled our neighbourhoods, spreading their hate.» He praised historical figures including Bernie Grant, Britain's first Black MP, and Paul Boateng, the first Black Cabinet minister. Lammy concluded: «That spirit is at the heart of the Britain I know and love - where decent people refuse the lure of hate and instead choose the path of unity.»
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
