Labour Peer Divides The Internet's With Her Exacerbated Response To Reform's Zia Yusuf

Thangam Debbonaire on BBC NewsnightA Labour peer has drawn both praise and criticism online after her rather expressive display on BBC Newsnight last night.Thangham Debbonaire, a former shadow cabinet minister who lost her Bristol West seat to the Greens in the last election, made it very clear how she feels about Reform UK’s Zia Yusuf’s views while they were sharing the BBC sofa.As Reform’s head of DOGE which aims to cut down on government waste, Yusuf attacked the government’s new Online Safety Act, warning: “This act makes children less safe!”Debonnaire just leaned back on the sofa, closed her eyes and rested her head in her hand while he talked about how children could circumvent the new restrictions.When presenter Matt Chorley said he wanted to hear from Debonnaire, she replied: “Why? I think he’s fine on his own. Why don’t we just let him talk?”Her angry response came after they had already argued several times over the legislation.Debonnaire called out Yusuf when he claimed anti-government tweets had been censored on Elon Musk’s social media platform X.“Last time I looked, I’m not in charge of X, that’ll be your friend Elon Musk,” she said, encouraging Yusuf to actually read the legislation. “I have not censored X. I think you’ll find if X has taken something down, that’ll be down to X.”When their conversation returned to Musk later in the programme and the problems with his platform, Yusuf claimed any problems were caused by the AI algorithms.The Labour peer replied, “oh, dear lord,” and then pointed out how, moments before, Yusuf had been blaming Debonnaire for problems with X.Her frustration quickly sparked a response on – where else? – X, with several people praising her for being so candid...I aspire to this level of "stfu" you moron pic.twitter.com/kZtVM795jw— Narinder Kaur (@narindertweets) July 30, 2025Thangam Debbonaire all of us whenever Zia Yusuf opens his mouth #newsnightpic.twitter.com/UhWkPGjMd4— Mark Coates (@markcoates1) July 29, 2025Thangam Debbonaire trying to tune out Zia Yusuf's non-stop droning bollocks on Newsnight. pic.twitter.com/2U0DtJdP5B— Parody Keir Starmer (@Parody_PM) July 30, 2025I can’t give @ThangamDebb an actual medal, so instead here’s a collage of her priceless reactions on tonight’s @BBCNewsnight(Ps, well done for managing to get a word in edgeways… Quality over quantity & all that 🙌) #Gold#Newsnightpic.twitter.com/Wd29vd8qX4— Camilla Pearce (@pearceyp78) July 29, 2025But not everyone appreciated the peer’s reaction to Yusuf, with some accounts suggesting she was rather rude...> "Hey Grok, generate me an image that embodies a kind of insufferable know-it-all smugness."> Grok: "Say no more fam" pic.twitter.com/ZIQM0SvUgo— Æthelstan (@TheHauskarl) July 29, 2025Thangham Debbonaire try not to act like a toddler having a tantrum challenge... https://t.co/FQgwCuTApB— HutchOnline (@Hutch_Online) July 30, 2025Why does Thangam Debbonaire act like that? https://t.co/4zxHTp24rF— Hamish Morrison (@HMorrison97) July 30, 2025While a few complained she did not get enough air time at all...During @BBCNewsnight's discussion of the #OnlineSafetyAct, chaired by Matt Chorley (Murdoch's Times 2016-24): Reform UK's Zia Yusuf spoke for 5:30; Jonathan Hall QC (since 2019 the Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation) for 3:00; Labour's Thangam Debbonaire got just 2:35. pic.twitter.com/oqP6MsOaPx— GET A GRIP (@docrussjackson) July 29, 2025Related...Tory Peer Slams Reform Over 'Misinformation' Around Epping Protests With Thinly-Veiled Dig'Ask Me Another Question': Reform MP Fumes At Journalist Over Afghan 'Sex Offenders' RowReform UK MP Given Brutal Reality Check By BBC Journalist After On-Air Bust-Up

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