James O’Brien rebukes Home Sec's refusal to apologise to Holocaust survivor for ‘disgusting language’
16 January 2023, 11:57 | Updated: 16 January 2023, 16:59
James O'Brien is astounded after Suella Braverman refused to apologise to 83-year-old Holocaust survivor
“This is an exchange…that I still quite frankly can’t believe happened in my country”, a bewildered James O’Brien said as he reflected on the Home Secretary attempting to justify her use of language in reference to migrants.
James O’Brien was left appalled by Suella Braverman’s refusal to apologise for language such as the word "invasion" in reference to migrants, after a Holocaust survivor said that language reminded her of Nazi rhetoric.
The 83-year-old Joan Salter lost family members to the Nazis, and asked the Home Secretary why she felt the “need” to use such language.
READ MORE: 'Invasion of the South Coast': Braverman admits illegal migration is 'out of control'
James said: “In the actual room where it happened, the Home Secretary refused to apologise and doubled down in fact on why she never would, and then the Home Office got involved, asking that the clip of the exchange be taken down.
“They claimed, I think, that it had been unfairly edited.”
James said that when he saw the shorter clip, he thought the longer version would be a “mitigation” for it, providing some more context, but instead found it “grim” and “gross”.
Caller: Braverman should 'not' apologise for what she said to a 83-year-old Holocaust survivor.
“The longer clip made it worse!” he exclaimed, aghast. “She tried to use the fact that her family had come here from other countries as a sort of defence against the accusation that she was using disgusting language to describe modern day refugees!”
“The Home office asking a charity called Freedom From Torture to take down the clip. They - I think - rightly refused”, he said, before reading out a statement from them.
“As an organisation, providing therapy to torture survivors who feel targetted by her language and who know first hand where such dehumanising language can lead, we will not do so”, he read.
READ MORE: LBC caller takes aim at Home Secretary after she refused to apologise to Holocaust survivor
“This is the United Kingdom, this is one of the countries that was absolutely key in defeating the Nazis, the people who murdered Joan Salter’s family and prompted her to flee across europe in pursuit of refuge and safety”, James said, appalled.
“This is a woman in charge of policies regarding latter day refugees, modern day countries…this is an exchange between two people that I still quite frankly can't believe happened in my country”, he concluded.
The events and James' monologue have generated a fierce reaction on Twitter.
Does she know meaning of 'invasion'. Are the refugees coming with guns and spears?
— D.Constant-Shepherd (@DConstantSheph1) January 16, 2023
A horrific exchange but hopefully a useful one
— PaulShilly 🌹🌹 (@shillcock_paul) January 16, 2023
Braverman’s total indifference and insensitivity to a holocaust survivor should be a wake up call to us all, to realise how far down the road to fascism this Govt is descending, cheered on by a worrying percentage of our population.
