Health Secretary Wes Streeting has accused Reform UK MP Sarah Pochin of making racist remarks after she complained about the number of black and Asian people in television adverts. Speaking on TalkTV, Pochin said the adverts 'don't reflect our society' and that 'your average white person, white family is not represented any more'.
Pochin, who represents Runcorn and Helsby, later apologised, saying her comments were 'phrased poorly' and that she had not intended to cause offence. She claimed the advertising industry had 'gone DEI mad' and that many adverts were 'unrepresentative of British society as a whole'.
Streeting said Pochin was 'only sorry she's been caught and called out' and warned of a return to '1970s, 1980s-style racism'. Labour has called on Reform leader Nigel Farage to denounce the comments. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp initially refused to call the remarks racist, but later said they were 'completely wrong' and 'yes it was racist'.
Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey described the comments as 'racism, pure and simple'. Reform's head of policy, Zia Yusuf, defended Pochin, saying she was a 'great MP' and that her apology should be accepted, while stressing the need for open discussion about representation in advertising.
