Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood told a heckler to “f*** right off” after being accused of copying Reform UK’s immigration policies during a live podcast event in central London. The incident occurred at the Duchess Theatre on Monday, where Mahmood was being interviewed by comedian Matt Forde for his Political Party podcast.
A man in the audience shouted that he wanted to “personally thank you for out-Reforming Reform” before being removed by security. Two other audience members then chanted “refugees welcome”. Mahmood responded by accusing the protesters of trying to “delegitimise” legitimate public concerns about immigration levels.
Mahmood said the heckler was trying to put her “in a box” and suggested there was a racial element to the criticism. “How dare you, a brown woman, say a thing that we white liberals think you’re not allowed to say? Well I’m saying it,” she told Forde. However, the campaign group Green New Deal Rising, which coordinated the protest, disputed her characterisation, stating that the man is a person of colour with a migrant background.
The home secretary is facing pressure from Labour MPs and cabinet colleagues over her hardline asylum and immigration plans. These include ending permanent protection for refugees, requiring them to have their asylum grants reviewed every 30 months, and forcing them to return home when safe. Refugees will also not be able to bring family to the UK until they can live self-sustainably, and will only qualify for permanent settlement after 20 years.
Mahmood also plans to double the time most overseas workers need to gain permanent settlement from five to 10 years. She has claimed these changes will save £10bn, but the IPPR thinktank has challenged this, citing Migration Advisory Committee estimates that dependents make net positive financial contributions until they stop working and claim the state pension.
