Richard Tice says the country doesn’t have time for Suella Braverman’s debate on Englishness
The Reform deputy leader also wouldn’t say whether he questions Kemi Badenoch’s Englishness
The Reform deputy leader, Richard Tice, has said the country doesn’t have time for Suella Braverman’s debate on Englishness.
Tice also refused to say whether he questions Tory leader Kemi Badenoch’s Englishness.
The debate about what constitutes being English was sparked by former Tory turned Reform MP Suella Braverman, who recently said that she is British but not English due to her Asian heritage.
In an interview with Times Radio’s Stig Abbell, Tice was asked whether he questions Badenoch’s Englishness.
In response, the Reform deputy leader said that the country didn’t have time for the debate Braverman had sparked.
Tice said: “Frankly this whole Englishness debate is just something we haven’t got time for. If the economy’s growing and everyone is feeling rich and nothing better to do than to navel gaze.”
The Times Radio journalist interrupted Tice, stating: “Well tell Suella Braverman that because this comes from her. This comes from one of her lot.”
Tice did not acknowledge that it was one of his party’s own MPs who has ignited the discussion, but continued to say: “I’m just telling you the country’s going bust, we face blackouts and I’m not talking about any of those sort of ‘nice to have’ debates when we’ve got a crisis facing us.”
The Reform MP continued to talk about the country facing a diesel and an electricity crisis, again dismissing Braverman’s comments.
Asked to confirm that he wouldn’t question Badenoch’s Englishness, Tice wouldn’t give a straight answer.
He said: “You know what I’m just not talking about it, I think it’s a complete waste of time.”
He added that it’s not what “normal people out in sticks” want to talk about.
Abbell pressed Tice, stating: “You could take three seconds and say ‘no I’m not not questioning her Englishness’.”
Tice refused to answer the question again, stating that he is focused on cutting bills and regulation and growing the economy, “not ridiculous navel-gazing”.
Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward
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