Highlights
- Debbonaire accused Pochin of disliking "brown people" on television
- The two also argued over Nigel Farage's £5m gift from a Thailand-based businessman
- They clashed again over a video Pochin posted urging the England football team to "keep winning"
- Debbonaire said she had "26 years of experience in violence against women and girls"; Pochin replied she had 20
LABOUR peer Thangam Debbonaire clashed with Reform UK's Sarah Pochin in a heated live interview on Sky News at the Makerfield byelection count.
The row broke out after Pochin appeared to mock Debbonaire for losing her Bristol West seat to the Greens in the 2024 general election. Debbonaire hit back, telling Pochin, "You don't like being on television with brown people, do you, Sarah? You've said that already."
When Pochin called this "outrageous", Debbonaire pressed her further, asking if she wanted her to "find the quote".
Debbonaire was referring to remarks Pochin made on TalkTV last October, when she said, "It drives me mad when I see adverts full of black people, full of Asian people."
Pochin had been responding to a viewer's complaint about advertising, saying the average white family was "not represented any more".
The clash followed Labour's Andy Burnham winning the Makerfield byelection on Friday (19).
Interview turned tense over Farage's gift
According to reports, the interview had already turned tense over Farage's £5 million gift from Thailand-based businessman Christopher Harborne, received before he became an MP in 2024.
The gift, revealed by the Guardian, is now being looked into by the parliamentary standards commissioner.
Pochin defended Farage, saying he received the money before entering politics and did not need to declare it. Debbonaire, however, disagreed, telling her, "Parliament provides security as you very well know... You have been interrupting me all night, Sarah, and now you're just talking rubbish."
Farage has given different explanations for the gift. He first said it was for personal security. He later said he saw it as a reward for campaigning for Brexit. Parliamentary rules say any benefit should be declared if it was received in the 12 months before taking office, adding, "If there is any doubt, the benefit should be registered."
The pair also argued over a video Pochin posted on X urging the England football team to "keep winning" to stop domestic violence rising. Debbonaire accused Pochin of failing to challenge abusers directly, asking her, "Are you really only saying the only danger to women is people who come from other countries?"
Debbonaire said she had "26 years of experience in violence against women and girls". Pochin replied she had 20. Debbonaire responded, "I see and raise you six years, Sarah. There are women being raped by white men, and you don't want to talk about that."
At points during the interview, Debbonaire appeared to walk away from the camera, saying: "Just let her talk, there's no point... Oh my God."
