'He Didn't': BBC Presenter Blasts Reform Chief Over False Claim Starmer Called Voters Racist

Jon Kaye and Zia Yusuf on BBC BreakfastA BBC presenter pulled up a senior Reform UK chief after he wrongly accused Keir Starmer of calling voters racist.Jon Kay interrupted Zia Yusuf after he hit back at the prime minister’s criticisim of Reform’s immigration policies.The party announced last week that it would end so-called “independent leave to remain status” for immigrants, meaning people who have been living legally in the UK for decades could be deported.On Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg, Starmer said: “Well, I do think that it is a racist policy. I do think it is immoral. It needs to be called out for what it is.”Asked if Reform are trying to appeal to racists, the PM said: “No, I think there are plenty of people who either vote Reform or are thinking of voting Reform who are frustrated.”On BBC Breakfast on Monday, Yusuf said: “The British people are sick and tired of having their concerns dismissed, having their concerns sneered at and having the political elite, of which Keir Starmer is the shining example of these days, basically insult them for having perfectly legitimate concerns about immigration.“The British people, election after election after election, voted for less immigration and instead they got massive, untrammelled immigration, the costs of which are enormous.“Last year alone, people watching this programme, listening to this programme as they go to work, a portion of their work today is going to pay for the £9 billion of welfare payments going to foreign nationals. And if you stand up and say ’you know what, we’re not too happy about that actually, people like Keir Starmer call you racist.”But Kaye told him: “He didn’t. Let’s just stay with your policy and what he said about it. He was talking very clearly about the policy, he said, being immoral and racist. He specified that he doesn’t think voters are racist if they back it.“He says he understands their frustrations, he gets its, he wants to deal with it. He wasn’t calling people racist.”Yusuf said: “People watching this programme, listening to this programme, can draw their own conclusions.”Related...No, Keir Starmer Didn't Say That People Who Are Worried About Immigration Are RacistKeir Starmer Blasts Nigel Farage's 'Racist' Plan To Deport Migrants Who Have Lived In UK For YearsPeople Who Have Lived In The UK For Decades Could Be Deported If Farage Becomes PM

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