Reform MP’s remarks ‘ugly’ but intention was not racist, Farage says
Nigel Farage has dismissed accusations of racism against a Reform UK MP who complained about adverts being “full” of black and Asian people.
The Reform leader and Clacton MP said the remarks made by Sarah Pochin were “ugly” and “wrong” but resisted calls for her suspension from the party on Monday.
Mr Farage insisted he did not believe the “intention” behind her comments was “racist” and suggested they should be read in the context of “DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) madness”.
‘Shocking racism’
Earlier on Monday, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said Mr Farage had “questions to answer” over the remarks, which he described as an example of “shocking racism”.
Both Labour and the Liberal Democrats have called for Ms Pochin, who became the Reform MP for Runcorn and Helsby after a by-election earlier this year, to have the party whip withdrawn.
During an appearance on TalkTV, she had responded to a viewer complaining about the demographics of advertising by saying they were “absolutely right”.
She then added that “it drives me mad when I see adverts full of black people, full of Asian people”.
Ms Pochin added that “it doesn’t reflect our society” and “your average white person, average white family is… not represented any more”, before later apologising and saying her point had been “phrased poorly”.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Mr Farage said: “I am unhappy with what she has done.”
He added: “I understand the basic point, but the way she put it, the way she worded it, was wrong and was ugly, and if I thought that the intention behind it was racist, I would have taken a lot more action than I have to date.”
Leadership
Speaking to broadcasters earlier on Monday, Sir Keir was asked whether Ms Pochin had been racist to make the remarks.
“Yes, she was,” he said.
“It’s shocking racism and it’s the sort of thing that will tear our country apart, and it tells you everything about Reform.
“Nigel Farage has got some questions to answer, because either he doesn’t consider it racist, which in my view is shocking in itself, or he does think it’s racist and he’s shown absolutely no leadership.
“I’m the Prime Minister of the whole of our country, our reasonable, tolerant, diverse country, and I want to serve the whole country.
“He can’t even call out racism.”
In a letter to Mr Farage before he publicly commented on the row on Monday, Labour chairwoman Anna Turley had said the remarks were “racist” and “your silence is deafening”.
“Saying that seeing black and Asian people in TV adverts ‘drives me mad’ is racist. You have the power to withdraw the Reform UK whip from Sarah Pochin,” she said.
“You should do it today.”
Censure
Meanwhile, the Lib Dems have sought a censure motion in Parliament to formally rebuke Ms Pochin’s words, urging “decent MPs from across party lines” to unite in condemning “this disgraceful behaviour”.
“If racism has no place in his party, as he continues to protest, then Nigel Farage should prove it by withdrawing the whip immediately,” the party’s home affairs spokesman Max Wilkinson said.
“Failure to do this will show total contempt for the vast majority of decent British people.”
Speaking to LBC, shadow home secretary Chris Philp said the way Ms Pochin had made her comments was “racist”, and “it’s right she apologised”.
The Conservative MP for Croydon South said: “She should absolutely not have said that. It was completely wrong.
“She has apologised. I think the way she put it was racist, she shouldn’t have said it and it’s right she’s apologised.”
In a statement following her initial remarks, Ms Pochin claimed she had been trying to say the advertising industry had gone “DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) mad”.
“My comments were phrased poorly and I apologise for any offence caused, which was not my intention,” she said.
“The point I was trying to make is that the British advertising agency world have gone DEI mad and many adverts are now unrepresentative of British society as a whole.
“I will endeavour to ensure my language is more accurate going forward.”
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Racist all the way to the bank nige. This is what your party is. You have a racist party and at least one racist MP. And you wonder why racist attacks are on the rise nige, your party. Your influence.
Reform member? You know what party you are in now, there is no doubt. Your choice to remain for leave.
And his presser today, he was grooming someone who was groomed.
Oh, and DEI fella, not a UK thing.
Not the first time he would call a knife a spoon. And it won’t be the last.
A racist can’t see the racism in another person.
Yep. I wonder if that makes them colour blind or blinded by colour.
Let me guess. The KKK were ordinary hardworking citizens with legitimate concerns?
Of course.
When I conjoin the terms (more now) Toryform/claim/vance/brex/kip/bnp/edl/nf, (heavily abbreviated and almost capital free to save a ‘waste of space’), I always forget to include kkk (no capitals). ALL (capitals justified) multiple cheeks of a multifold gigantic angry a**e!
Racist scum and Kermit won’t do a thing about it because he supports it. Caerphilly people 1 Racist scumbags 0
Today Nigel Farage looked very uncomfortable when he defended the indefensible on TV. What Reform UK MP Sarah Pochin said was indeed racist. How on earth Farage can say otherwise is laughable.
I hope this now opens the eyes of those considering supporting white supremacist Reform UK in next year’s Senedd election. Do voters have an appetite for change, or does Reform prefer apartheid for change. As said, hope over hate. #Ymlaen 🏴
Racists will still vote for them.
All I would ask of Nige is that his white supremacist hate mobs wear white pointy hats with eye holes. They already have the crosses at their hate rallies.
A critical part of the racist language narrative that has been dispatched is the use of the ‘N’ & ‘P’ words (not by their voting followers) but the bloody ‘genius’ who is Pochin has decided to use the words Black (N) and Brown (P) instead. No wonder Farij has pulled her back. She’s threatening to destroy decades of work getting racists ready for government so when their Kings’ orders come to pass, (Musk ‘civil war is inevitable’, violence is coming to you’), they are going to find out who the ‘silent majority’ actually are and they will come to regret… Read more »
Farage said
‘said the remarks made by Sarah Pochin were “ugly” and “wrong” ‘
Journalists should have asked him to elaborate and say why the remarks were ‘ugly’ and ‘wrong’.
Pochin said
‘“My comments were phrased poorly ‘
Journalists should have invited her to rephrase her comment in a form she considered not to be poor.
She couldn’t be anymore racist if she finds seeing Asian or Black people in advertisements maddening.
Doesn’t she think they sit on sofas, sleep on beds or eat food like everyone else
?
The advertisers who pay huge amounts of money for prime slots on TV clearly do otherwise they wouldn’t use them.
Dis she get upset when Cadburys used a gorilla on the drums?
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage can spin it all he likes. He leads a party full of far-right racists.