You are connecting from Lake Geneva Public Library, please login or register to take advantage of your institution's Ground News Plan.
Published 7 hours ago • loading... • Updated 3 hours ago
Suella Braverman is told that she is being 'racist against herself'
On Thursday, Suella Braverman, a politician for The Reform, faced intense questioning on BBC Question Time regarding her definition of English identity. Presenter Fiona Bruce repeatedly pressed her to clarify if non-white individuals can be considered English.
Braverman, who defected to The Reform from the Conservatives earlier this year, has previously stated she does not identify as English because of her Asian heritage. The 46-year-old argues Englishness requires lineage and ancestry dating back a few generations.
An audience member challenged Braverman, noting he has lived 54 years and identifies as English despite his background. He accused her of 'reinforcing the racist argument,' to which she responded by questioning if she was being racist against herself.
New Statesman journalist Oli Dugmore confronted Braverman during the programme, arguing that the 'political function' of her comments implies only white people can be English. Dugmore asserted such a perspective is 'a racist point of view.'
Following the broadcast, Braverman took to social media to reject accusations, maintaining her comments concerned personal identity. She wrote that critics use 'divisive and inflammatory language' to smear The Reform, asserting she will not be bullied into silence.