Brits slam US TV host Trevor Noah's claims of a racist backlash against Sunak, following LBC call
27 October 2022, 19:10 | Updated: 27 October 2022, 20:45
British people have spoken out against claims made by US TV host Trevor Noah that there has been a racist "backlash" to Rishi Sunak becoming Prime Minister - first sparked by a call to LBC.
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Former cabinet minister Sajid Javid said Mr Noah's comments, which came after a caller told LBC's Sangita Myska that Mr Sunak "doesn't represent Britain", were "completely detached from reality".
Unpacking the backlash against new UK PM Rishi Sunak #BetweenTheScenes pic.twitter.com/MJNPgv5APK
— The Daily Show (@TheDailyShow) October 26, 2022
Mr Noah said on his satirical news programme The Daily Show that some people are saying that "now the Indians are going to take over Great Britain," and opened an earlier show with a reference to the racist caller.
Mr Sunak's own spokesperson, asked whether he believes the country he governs is racist, said: "No he doesn't."
LBC: Sangita Myska eviscerates this caller who claims Suank 'doesn't love England'
Former Chancellor Mr Javid rejected Mr Noah's comments, saying: "Simply wrong. A narrative catered to his audience, at a cost of being completely detached from reality.
He added: "Britain is the most successful multiracial democracy on earth and proud of this historic achievement."
Popular historian Tom Holland also hit out at Mr Noah's comments.
He said: "As ever, the inability of American liberals to understand the world beyond the US in anything but American terms is a thing of wonder.
"(The likelihood of the right-wing party in the US choosing a Hindu as its leader is, I would agree, effectively zero.)"
Mr Noah's comments were posted on Twitter, racking up 1.3 million views.
He said: "Watching the story of Rishi Sunak becoming England's first Prime Minister of colour, of Indian descent, of all these things and then seeing the backlash is one of the more telling things about how people view the role that they or their people have played in history.
"And what I mean by that is this, you hear a lot of the people saying 'Oh, they're taking over, now the Indians are going to take over Great Britain and what's next?'
"And I always find myself going 'So what? What are you afraid of?'"
He continued: "You see people like Tucker Carlson (America Fox News host) all the time saying 'You know what they're trying to do? They won't stop until black people and women are in positions of power',... so what?"
He added: "Why are you so afraid? And I think it's because the quiet part a lot of people don't realise they are saying is 'We don't want these people who were previously oppressed to get into power because then they may do to us what we did to them.'"
Mr Noah's claims came after a now-infamous conversation between LBC presenter Sangita Myska and a caller known only as 'Jerry from Lowestoft' two days before Mr Sunak won the Conservative leadership election.
The clip has now been viewed millions of times. Sangita, who, like Mr Sunak, is of East African Indian descent, said the video had been sent back to her from people all over the world.
She wrote in a later piece for LBC reflecting on the incident: "That conversion on LBC has kicked off a conversation worldwide about the moment the racist underbelly of a society collides with body politic so openly that the world can hear and feel [every] word of hate.
"Racism exists in every society where there is a racially minoritized group. Britain is no exception. It has its own complex historical relationship with ethnic minorities by virtue of Empire and the subjugation of three quarters of the globe – most of whom were people of colour.
"We are now over here, because colonial Britain was over there."
Sangita added: "On my LBC show I encourage my listeners to lean into their complex, difficult feelings - not hide away behind flippant remarks.
"Then, in a safe, honest and open space we explore them together in a nuanced and balanced way."
