Fiona Bruce was repeatedly forced to intervene during Thursday's Question Time as a debate grew increasingly tense. Suella Braverman sparked outrage after declaring that she did not consider herself to be an 'English person'.
Addressing the audience, the Reform MP said: "I'm not an English person; I am of Asian origin," before asking: "Why are the English people the only group of people on the earth who cannot have a distinct identity?"
Elaborating on her argument, Suella continued: "When we look at it from an insular point of view, people don't seem to understand what I'm saying," before remarking: "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."
Audience member challenges Braverman
Following Suella's argument, one audience member was left outraged. "What you've done is 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'd had a penny for every time that I'd been given that, I'd be a very rich man," he pointed out.
After clarifying that he "absolutely" considered himself to be English, Suella fired back. "I'm being racist against myself?" she asked the audience member. "Basically," he replied. "Right, well, that makes a lot of sense," she quipped. "Basically, you are," he fumed. "I'm not going to be racist against myself," Suella argued, as the man repeated: "Basically, you are".
"I believe we can have a cohesive society that unites around British identity," the Reform MP stated. "You understand the word indigenous, yeah?" the audience member hit back. "If you were born here, you're indigenous, simple," he concluded.
Bruce steps in during exchange with journalist
Later in the programme, Fiona herself was forced to intervene as Suella expanded on her views while talking with journalist Oli Dugmore. "The political function of what she was saying earlier is that you can only be English if you are white, and that, I regret to say it, is a racist point of view," Oli pointed out, clearly striking a nerve with Suella, who shook her head in disagreement.
As Fiona asked whether or not Suella believed that a person could only be English if they were white, the politician responded: "He's saying that I'm being racist against myself," Suella began, prompting the host to cut in. "No, he's saying your view is that you can only be English if you're white. Is that your view?"
As Suella failed to answer the question directly, Fiona interjected again. "Just answer that one question that Oli put to you, because that's an allegation," she pointed out, before the MP continued to fume that Oli had called her 'racist against herself'. "Hang on, I'm talking here, Suella," Fiona reminded her. "What he said was that you are claiming, and I want to know if you agree with it or disagree, that people can only call themselves English if they are white."
Visibly frustrated, by the end of the interview Fiona said: "Ok, you're not answering the question. I'm giving you lots of chances. I've asked you the question, and I haven't had an answer."
