Susanna Reid didn’t hold back on Sunday morning, giving Chris Philp a thorough dressing down over the Tories’ track record on immigration. Appearing on BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg, the Good Morning Britain presenter passionately defended migrants while challenging the shadow home secretary’s stance.
Philp’s Criticism of Labour
Chris Philp had earlier criticised Labour for failing to curb the numbers of asylum seekers crossing the English Channel in small boats. However, Reid was quick to point out that the Tories’ own record on immigration left plenty to be desired.
“How Can He Lecture?”
Reid didn’t mince her words:
“With all due respect to Chris Philp, how he can lecture the current government on immigration when it was under the previous government that legal net migration hit almost a million is remarkable.”
She highlighted the real concern many people have—not over migrants themselves but over how they’re supported:
“Anybody is going to worry about how we provide housing and healthcare if we see this scale of legal migration. But what governments fail to do is tell the positive story about why we need immigrants.”
A Call for Honesty
Reid argued that immigration isn’t just necessary; it’s beneficial. She said governments should stop framing migrants as a problem and instead explain:
“We need migrants. They’re positive and valuable contributors to society. But we also need to manage it transparently—here’s the number we need and why.”
Labour’s Pledge Gets a Side-Eye
Reid didn’t let Labour off the hook either, criticising their pledge to reduce immigration.
“That makes it sound like immigration is a bad thing—like we’re saying, ‘We’re going to lower it because immigrants are bad.’”
She added, with a touch of disdain:
“All that does is hand the political argument to Reform UK or Farage, with their one-in, one-out approach.”
The Bottom Line
Reid’s fiery takedown wasn’t just a critique of Philp; it was a broader call for honesty and clarity about immigration. Whether or not the politicians take note remains to be seen, but one thing’s for sure: Reid isn’t afraid to speak her mind.
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