Harrow-born MP Suella Braverman pressed on Question Time over who can be English

Suella Braverman, who was born in Harrow and grew up in Wembley, was repeatedly asked on BBC Question Time whether a person who is not white can be English. She did not give a direct answer.

The Reform UK MP for Fareham and Waterlooville was on the panel for the programme broadcast on Thursday 1 October. The row followed her earlier statements that she does not see herself as English.

Also on the panel were energy secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh, Conservative shadow minister Julia Lopez and New Statesman journalist Oli Dugmore. Fiona Bruce presented the programme.

What was said

The discussion began with a question about immigration and how it can be debated without causing division. It then turned to what it means to be English.

In the broadcast, Ms Braverman told the audience she was not an English person and was of Asian origin. She asked why the English were the only group who could not have a distinct identity of their own. She argued that being English means having family roots in England going back a few generations.

One audience member told her she had reinforced the racist argument. He said he had been alive for 54 years and had lost count of the times he had been told he was not English, even though he was born here. When Fiona Bruce asked if he thought of himself as English, he said he absolutely did.

Bruce then put his point to the MP: was she saying that only white people can call themselves English? Ms Braverman was asked several times and did not give a yes or no answer. Bruce eventually told her she was not answering the question.

Oli Dugmore said her position meant you could only be English if you were white, which he called a racist point of view. Ms Braverman rejected this, called the claim divisive and said she could not be racist against herself.

At another point in the programme, Ms Braverman complained that the audience was biased against her party. Bruce replied that people from all parties, and people with no political allegiance, were in the audience.

A debate with local roots

The row came after weeks of argument about Englishness. In September, Ms Braverman wrote on social media that Englishness is an ethnicity and that saying so is not racist. She repeated that she does not consider herself English but is proud to be British.

The argument has struck a chord in West and North West London, partly because of her own background. She was born in Harrow, grew up in Wembley and went to school in Brent before studying at Cambridge. She now represents a Hampshire seat.

Brent, Harrow, Ealing, Hounslow and Hillingdon are among the most diverse boroughs in the country. Many families there have lived in the area for three or four generations. For many people born and raised in Southall, Wembley, Hayes or Hounslow, the question of whether they count as English is part of everyday life, not an abstract one.

Background

Ms Braverman served as home secretary under two Conservative prime ministers, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak. She was sacked from the role in November 2023. She left the Conservatives and joined Reform UK earlier this year.

People hold strong views on every side of the wider debate over national identity, including whether Englishness depends on where you are born, on culture or on ancestry. The debate shows no sign of settling. Question Time is broadcast on BBC One on Thursday evenings, and past episodes are on BBC iPlayer.