Shelagh Challenges Ukip Deputy: Feelings About Immigration Are Not Facts

19 May 2017, 11:48 | Updated: 19 May 2017, 14:50

Immigration is always a contentious issue when it comes to elections, but Shelagh Fogarty wanted to make one thing clear to Ukip’s deputy leader.

Peter Whittle joined the LBC presenter to answer listener’s questions as part of the election call.

When the subject turned to immigration, Shelagh wanted to clarify the dangers of merging people’s feelings about immigration to the actual facts.

She told Mr Whittle: “You said a minute ago, '70 per cent feel migration is too high’. There are just as many surveys that show that often people in very low migrant areas feel that it’s too high.

“Isn’t your responsibility as a politician and mine as a journalist to make sure they have the truth and not just a feeling?”

Mr Whittle agreed, before noting that for “years” those who simply raised the question about immigration were branded a “racist”.

He added: “When you talk about people having the facts, what we have now is a discussion, whichever way you take on it, about migration.”

Shelagh explained she wanted Mr Whittle to be more “rigorous” with the figures he quoted about the number of people coming to Britain.

The LBC presenter said: “Feelings about migration are not enough. Feelings about migration lead to people being beaten up in the streets. Facts matter enormously   on this issue.”

Watch what Mr Whittle made of that response above.

LBC's Election Calls will see candidates from all the main political parties come into the LBC studios to answer your questions as we build up to June 8.

The full election call with Peter Whittle is below.