'I'm about to cry, I feel so scared': black British woman feels the Home Sec is 'othering' ethnic minorities
1 November 2022, 15:14 | Updated: 1 November 2022, 15:20
British black woman says the UK has become 'pathologically racist'
This caller tells Shelagh Fogarty she feels like Suella Braverman wants to "attack" and turn the "population against" ethnic minorities.
Suella Braverman faced questioning in the House of Commons yesterday and has since been scrutinised for using "inflammatory language" when describing migrants as 'invading' the UK's southern borders.
Anna from Northampton phoned into Shelagh Fogarty's show to share her views of the Home Secretary's language, as a black woman born in Britain.
She began by saying: "It is really hard as a black woman, being born in the UK and you keep hearing all of this rhetoric to not feel this sense of inner turmoil and rage and feel this sense that the whole of white society is against you."
"It's absolutely not," Shelagh assured her.
"Thank you for that. Sorry, I'm about to cry," Anna's voice broke showing her emotion.
READ MORE: Suella Braverman 'refused hotel bookings for migrants because they were in Tory areas'
"I've been so upset about this over the last few weeks. I feel so scared of two people, I feel scared of the Home Secretary Suella Braverman prior to her of course Priti Patel but mainly Braverman.
"I feel very strongly as if she's trying to, I feel she's sort of 'othering' non-white people in this country whether they were born here or not but mainly of course refugees and asylum seekers. And I feel this palpable sense that she wants to turn the majority of the population against us like she wants to attack us or something."
Shelagh Fogarty responded: "I would go further than using the word othering...I would use the word scapegoating. I would say that by saying 'Look at this invasion it's awful!'
"it's saying 'Please don't look at my performance please don't look at the performance in the Home Office for the last ten years!'."
Anna shared how far her fears have gone: "I'm considering taking self-defence lessons because I'm scared...I'm scared of being attacked I'm scared that it is going to proliferate."
She told Shelagh that she has been a victim of racism on three occasions in the last two months alone.
"The fact of the matter is that I don't feel safe here," she expressed.
Shelagh asked if she feels the situation has worsened in the UK.
"Yes it has gotten so much worse, it's become pathologically racist, I would say so in the last 12 years," she said.
She said she felt it had gotten worse as she has felt more compelled in recent years to voice the issue of racism.
On his show yesterday evening Iain Dale said the language Ms Braverman used was "a disgrace" and even said it could cost the Tory party his vote in 2024.
Iain Dale says Suella Braverman's actions could cost his Tory vote
