Kate Garraway directly asked Suella Braverman whether she is “pro-migration” during an appearance on Good Morning Britain, prompting viewers to accuse the former Home Secretary of hypocrisy.
Braverman appeared on the programme on Thursday, 1 October, alongside host Richard Madeley. The former Conservative politician, who defected earlier this year, was promoting her memoir, Patriot: Empire, Betrayal and Hope.
During the interview, Braverman described how her ancestors had moved to Mauritius from India during a wave of migration in the 1800s. She said she wrote the book to challenge the “popular narrative that the British empire was evil and oppressive and that British history is something to be ashamed of”.
Question on migration
After Braverman claimed the British empire had “hugely benefitted” her family, Garraway asked: “So you’re pro-migration?”
The question was widely praised by viewers. One person wrote: “Kate doing god’s work,” while another called the question “genius”, reports Wales Online.
Others accused Braverman of hypocrisy. One viewer wrote: “In other words, “now that I’m here, close the doors”. Another said: “Will she be setting up a GoFund account next? Reeks of hypocrisy, a deep lack of introspection, a book sale, cultural denial & inauthenticity.” A third wrote: “Total. Utter. Humiliation.”
Question Time clash
Elsewhere on Thursday, Braverman’s criticism of the Conservatives on Question Time appeared to backfire. Discussing immigration, she said: “The question about Englishness has arisen because of the utter failure by the Conservative government on mass immigration.”
Energy secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh responded: “You were in the conservative government Suella,” while Conservative shadow business secretary Julia Lopez reminded Braverman of her former role as Home Secretary.
Braverman replied: “Thank you for raising that, it is the very reason I left the Conservative party because they utterly betrayed the British people on their promises on legal migration. I battled from within for years to cut visas and I was blocked.”
Good Morning Britain airs weekdays from 6am on ITV1 and ITVX.
