Shelagh Issues Challenge To Caller Who Blames NHS Pressures On Migrants
8 January 2018, 14:07 | Updated: 8 January 2018, 14:15
Shelagh Fogarty issued a challenge to this caller who claimed immigration was to blame for the rising pressures on public services across Britain.
Mike called on Theresa May to acknowledge that unlimited immigration was causing “a lot of the problems”, particularly in housing and in the NHS.
He was speaking as the Prime Minister unveiled a series of changes to her cabinet line-up.
The caller demanded Mrs May only appointed ministers who “are totally behind the Brexit process”.
“She has been attacked within her own party from people who don’t really want us to leave the EU,” he told Shelagh before turning his attention to immigration.
“I’d also like her to publicly acknowledge and accept unlimited immigration has caused a lot of problems that we’ve seen in our public services, particularly in housing, the NHS.
“Nobody seems to accept the reason the referendum result went the way it did is because so many people are sick of the impact of unlimited immigration on services.
“The cuts are being made because the money being spent to house, cater for and attend to the needs of a quarter of a million people that are coming into this country this year.”
At this point Shelagh interrupted, telling him it was in fact austerity and not immigration which was to blame.
She then issued a challenge: "Let you and I remember this moment, when we’ve got immigration under control, let’s have a conversation then.
“If you can ring me and tell me in two, three, five, 10 - however many years it takes - when you and others feel like you do on immigration, if you can tell me the health service is tickety-boo and fully funded, that social care is tickety-boo and fully funded and fully joined up, with the health service - then I will eat my hat.
“I will bow to you Mike, but I doubt that moment will ever come.”
Watch the heated moment in full above.
