BBC Breakfast’s Angela Rayner report left viewers furious.
Angela Rayner spoke about migrants in the UK (Image: Getty)
BBC Breakfast sparked fury among viewers as they tuned in to a report about former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner‘s comments on migrants. Presenter Roger Johnson told viewers that Rayner had warned that government proposals to make it harder for migrants already in the UK to settle permanently are “un-British” and a “breach of trust”. He asked political reporter Henry Zeffman: “How significant an intervention, if at all, is this from Angela Rayner?”
Zeffman replied: “Yeah, I think it’s pretty significant. Angela Rayner has made a few targeted and limited interventions in different areas of policy since she resigned as Deputy Prime Minister over her tax affairs back in September.
“But this is the most incendiary yet, both on specific policy and on general direction. On specific policy, she criticised the government’s direction of travel on immigration for the first time. She was talking specifically about the retroactive element of changes to the permanent residency rules that the government is bringing in.
Henry Zeffman shared Angela’s comments on BBC Breakfast (Image: BBC)
“So that means that people who are here already would have to wait double the amount of time, ten years rather than five years, to qualify for permanent residence. She said that was moving the goalposts, un-British and a breach of trust. But then she went further.
“She said, ‘let’s be honest to the public. We have left the impression that we defended the status quo rather than challenged it, represented the establishment, not working people. At worst, we became it.
“‘For a start, we should show the whole country that we’re proud, not embarrassed by labour achievements that reflect our labour values.’” That is a clear indication of how Angela Rayner believes this government should change and it will certainly inflame the debates around.”
Furious viewers rushed to social media to comment on the remarks, as one asked: “This Labour government is un-British and breaching trust on a daily basis. What are the achievements of which she speaks?”
A second chimed in: “I couldn’t give one hoot what this woman says.”
A third raged: “Angela, are you paying for them all? NO. Will you provide them & their families with enough money to fund their every need forever ? NO. Any spare bedrooms you can sacrifice? NO. So why tf should we! You can’t even pay your own tax love.”
A fourth agreed: “What planet is she living on, the British people have literally been electing governments on reduced migration pledges for as long as I can remember and Reform are leading the polls. It’s not up to her what’s British.”
