icon bookmark-bicon bookmarkicon cameraicon checkicon chevron downicon chevron lefticon chevron righticon chevron upicon closeicon v-compressicon downloadicon editicon v-expandicon fbicon fileicon filtericon flag ruicon full chevron downicon full chevron lefticon full chevron righticon full chevron upicon gpicon insicon mailicon moveicon-musicicon mutedicon nomutedicon okicon v-pauseicon v-playicon searchicon shareicon sign inicon sign upicon stepbackicon stepforicon swipe downicon tagicon tagsicon tgicon trashicon twicon vkicon yticon wticon fm
30 Apr, 2018 10:52

Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott stumbles in Piers Morgan car-crash interview

Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott stumbles in Piers Morgan car-crash interview

Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott confounded ITV’s Piers Morgan as she repeatedly failed to clarify Labour’s immigration policies.

The car-crash interview on ITV’s Good Morning Britain, which followed Home Secretary Amber Rudd’s resignation on Sunday night over the Windrush scandal, saw presenter Morgan question Abbott on party’s stance is on illegal immigrants residing in the UK.

When Morgan asked her if she would give amnesty to immigrants or remove them, Hackney North and Stoke Newington MP dodged the question and instead hit out at the program for failing to address the immediate plight of the Windrush community.

Morgan retorted saying: “Well we spent the first half of the interview talking about that and I don’t think it’s unreasonable given the recent scandal to ask the shadow home secretary what your immigration policy is.

“You don’t want to answer for reasons that are your right of course, but I think viewers might be interested in knowing what your opinion is.”

As the shadow home secretary carried on refusing to address the question, an exasperated Morgan said: “I’m not trying to trap you. I’m just trying to ask you a simple question. What do we do about illegal immigrants in this country? Do we let them stay?

“Boris Johnson suggested amnesty but you said no to amnesty, so the only logical fallout for no amnesty is that we get them all out of the country isn’t it?”

Diane continued: “The logical fall out is in, it’s to try and work towards an immigration and nationality department which is more fair and efficient.”

Piers then replied: “You keep saying that, but Diane, I am honestly trying to work out what Labour’s view of illegal immigrants is.

"I don’t know why you’re finding it hard to answer that question.”

Following the interview, Morgan took to Twitter to give his account of the baffling interview and reiterated: “I wasn’t trying to trick you @HackneyAbbott. It was a simple question: would Labour let illegal immigrants stay in Britain or deport them? You criticized Rudd for her failure to ‘get basic facts right’ yet couldn’t give me a straight factual answer to this fundamental question.”

If you like this story, share it with a friend!

Podcasts
0:00
28:20
0:00
27:33