Suella Braverman Accused of 'Racism Against Herself' Over English Identity Comments

Reform UK education spokesperson Suella Braverman was confronted on the BBC's Question Time program by an audience member who accused her of being 'racist against herself' for stating she is British of Asian ethnicity, rather than English. The exchange occurred as Braverman discussed her identity and heritage while promoting her new book, "Patriot: Empire, Betrayal and Hope."

Braverman, born in London to parents who immigrated from Kenya and Mauritius of Indian ancestry, explained her position by saying, "I've always considered myself British of Asian ethnicity and that's never been something that I would question. Of course I'm not English. I'm not an English person. I am of Asian origin and in my book, I track some of my ancestry... but they're not English. So it would be misrepresentative of me to co-opt Englishness as an ethnicity."

She further elaborated that just as she would not claim to be Japanese if born in Japan, she does not identify as English given her family's non-English origins. Braverman questioned why English people seem to be the only group unable to maintain a distinct identity, stating, "Why are the English people the only group of people on the earth who cannot have a distinct identity? That baffles me that this has suddenly become a debate and I also don't want to deny my Asian heritage."

Braverman noted that she can be born in England, support the England football team, and love England, while still identifying as British Asian, a designation she said millions of people in the country share.

The audience member, identified as a 54-year-old black man from Tottenham, North London, challenged Braverman, stating he had been told he was "not English even though I was born here" numerous times. He suggested Braverman's comments reinforced what he described as "the racist argument." When Braverman inquired if she was being "racist against myself," the man replied, "Basically you are." Braverman responded, "Right. Well, that makes a lot of sense."

The audience member argued that if someone is born in a country, they are indigenous, adding, "If you were born here, you're indigenous. Yeah? Simple."

Another panelist, Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh, expressed sadness over the discussion, calling it an example of how immigration debates in politics have become "coarse." Fahnbulleh, a first-generation migrant, stated that such discussions are marred by "undercurrents of racism" that prevent a sensible debate on a "broken system."

The conversation also touched upon former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's recent comments about his identity, where he explained he was "being described as a brown Hindu who was British but couldn't be English." Host Fiona Bruce had raised this point, asking Braverman to elaborate on her own views.

Braverman's book, "Patriot: Empire, Betrayal and Hope," explores her family history, tracing roots back to India, Mauritius, Kenya, and also includes French Creole and Portuguese ancestry. She maintained that while she respects English people, it's not controversial to acknowledge her own distinct ethnic identity that is not English.