Suella Braverman condemned after Question Time racism row over what it means to be English

Reform MP Suella Braverman has been criticised once more after doubling down on her comments on what it means to be English during an appearance on BBC Question Times, after she was accused of fanning the flames of racism.

The former Tory MP has been accused of suggesting that non-white people cannot be English after she claimed last month that she was not English despite being born in the country and having lived in it her whole life.

During a discussion on the issue on Question Time, an audience member told her: “What you’ve done is basically reinforce the racist argument.

“I’ve been on this planet for 54 years, and the amount of times I’ve been told I’m not English, even though I was born here. If I had a penny for every time I’ve been given that, I’d be a very rich man.”

Braverman replied: “So I’m being racist against myself? That makes a lot of sense, with respect. I’m not going to be racist against myself.”

Pushed by presenter Fiona Bruce to explain her definition of what it means to be English, Braverman said she was not of “English origin” because her parents and grandparents were born elsewhere.

Asked once more for her definition, Braverman replied: “I’m not the one saying that it has to be five generations or four generations.

“I think it becomes pretty obvious when people have got a lineage, an ancestry, a connection to the heritage of this country which dates back a few generations.”

New Statesman journalist Oli Dugmore also condemned Braverman and said: “The political function of what she was saying earlier is that you can only be English if you are white and that, and I regret to say it, is a racist point of view.”