LONDON: British Muslim MP Zarah Sultana has accused Good Morning Britain presenter Ed Balls of attempting to patronize her during a Monday morning interview about the recent far-right riots in the UK.
Labour’s Sultana engaged in a heated debate with the presenter and former politician, emphasizing the importance of labeling the far-right violence as “Islamophobic.”
“The sneering contempt of ‘journalists’ will never stop me from calling out racism and Islamophobic hate,” Sultana wrote on X.
During the interview, Balls repeatedly interrupted Sultana, accusing her of not answering the questions.
“If you want to answer the questions, you can but you don’t have to,” Balls told Sultana.
A sneering Ed Balls (husband of Home Sec) and panel of white people take umbrage at Zarah Sultana asking govt to call riots across country racist/Islamophobic. Look at them laughing at her. @GMB just allowed presenters to belittle a Muslim MP on air.
pic.twitter.com/lMJ4kmAWdE pic.twitter.com/ykt3jbMZU6
— Teri (@mettlesome_teri) August 5, 2024
In a tense exchange, co-presenter Kate Garraway asked Sultana why it was important to use the term “Islamophobic” alongside “racist” and “thuggery” to describe the events. Balls interrupted again, stating: “They definitely said racist over the weekend.”
As Sultana explained how protesters attacked a mosque over the weekend, Balls interjected once more, saying: “But Keir Starmer has condemned that,” to which Sultana replied: “I’m just finishing the question if that’s OK.”
The incident has sparked online criticism, with some calling the episode “unacceptable and deeply uncomfortable,” and accusing Balls of being “reckless” for his repeated interruptions of the MP.
Balls and ITV faced scrutiny for interviewing his wife, UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, on the same program, raising questions about the impartiality of the interview.
The UK has been grappling with a wave of far-right violence, including attacks on hotels housing asylum seekers.
The unrest follows a stabbing rampage at a dance class in Southport that left three girls dead and several injured, fueled by false online rumors that the 17-year-old suspect was a Muslim immigrant.
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