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Disgust - The Reform party Racist Sarah Pochlin

(329 Posts)
Wyllow3 Mon 27-Oct-25 08:40:31

www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cd7rg7wjvgvo

I'm sure we are all aware now that Reform MP Sarah Pochlin, made the following remarks on that Talk TV phone in.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting, quite rightly, imo, has criticised Reform MP Sarah Pochin (Runcorn and Helsby) for what he called "racist" language:

after she complained about adverts being "full of black people, full of Asian people

She gave a mealy mouthed apology "my remarks were "phrased poorly"
but maintained that many adverts were "unrepresentative of British society".

Streeting said yesterday Pochin had only said sorry "because she's been caught and called out".

its one of those "I'm sorry if" apologies that mean nothing - she is racist at heart.

The adverts we see on TV are all so very different - they are targeted, for example on ITV 3 we get a series of almost complete white older people in baths with doors, sitting in idealised arm chairs, etc etc.

On programmes watched by whole groups of people the content reflects our society as a whole. which is multi cultural:

and has the benefit, I believe for young people particularly, who don.t live in multi-cultural areas like mine, of showing that people from varied backgrounds do ordinary things like insure cars or watch TV or mix across cultures with popcorn and a take out (just to give some typical examples)

One has to ask, why does she mind so much?

What she said isn't even that insidious or subtle racism or the kind of racism people carry but aren't necessarily aware of

(ie assumptions being made becuase you dont actually know people from different backgrounds)

it was full out in your face "us and THEM" revealing her and her Reform compatriots in all their prejudice and hatred.

She should be taken to task by Farage. Is she isnt, what does that say about him?

escaped Wed 29-Oct-25 17:24:36

It was a light hearted comment! A joke! Sprouts 🤮.

OK, how would I know? I lived in East London for many years. My neighbours, both sides and opposite, Asians, hated sprouts!

PaynesGrey Wed 29-Oct-25 17:19:59

I'm not sure that half these people in the ads actually enjoy sprouts and stuffing over their own ethnic foods!

How would you know?

You overlook that fact many people of other ethnicities may be second, third, fourth generation or more. They may have long since left behind the food customs of their parents, grandparents and great grandparents.

I work with young and older people of many ethnicites and can assure you that they enjoy traditional British food as well as food from other cultures just as much as anyone, just as white British people enjoy food from other cultures. Pizza anyone?

And, how do we know that a white family is British? They may be French, Belgian, Dutch, German, Polish, Ukraine or any number of natonalities. In the 2021 census, over 6% of the population identified as White Other meaning not British.

How closely does a traditional Christmas meal is in those countries match the British traditional? I have just searched on what a traditional German Christmas lunch comprises … features a roasted main course like goose, duck, or sometimes beef, served with classic sides such as braised red cabbage and dumplings (both bread and potato varieties). Turkey isn’t mentioned. Nor are Brussels sprouts and stuffing.

We shouldn’t be stereotyping people who may have lived in the UK all their lives.

I have flagged the Media Show, foxie. Thanks. It’s not yet up on Sounds.

Iam64 Wed 29-Oct-25 17:14:15

One of our family has Rohingya Muslim background. Her mum a Rohyngya Muslim from Burma. Mum came to England, married a white British Muslim convert. Their children were brought up as Muslims, went to Mosque regularly. Mum is an excellent cook and cooked a traditional Christmas dinner as well as giving presents because she enjoyed it

foxie48 Wed 29-Oct-25 16:57:35

I've just listened to an interesting discussion on the Media Show (Radio 4). Showing diversity in TV ads works for companies, increases their profits and raises the profile of their businesses.

vintage1950 Wed 29-Oct-25 16:26:03

But some Asian families do celebrate Christmas in a secular way, because their children don't want to be left out of the fun - we knew people who did just that. They ran the local corner shop.

escaped Wed 29-Oct-25 16:17:12

The article is correct that advertising agencies choose their models for TV
commercials based on market research, and relatability to their target audience.
I think in recent years, the Christmas adverts, however, have fallen over themselves a bit too much to use black and Asian families in their videos. I'm not sure that half these people in the ads actually enjoy sprouts and stuffing over their own ethnic foods! Or follow our childhood Christmas traditions from years back when. Waitrose certainly tried too hard with theirs.
And that's what I have a bit of a problem with. It's back to being contrived.

On the other hand, I remember the Boots adverts and maybe the Amazon ones being very authentic using black models.

PaynesGrey Wed 29-Oct-25 16:03:05

I wonder if Pochin understands business or wants to promote it. Her argument about advertising, suggesting brand promotion is a DEI initative is ludicrous. Businesses and advertising agencies will have done their market research using companies such as Nielsen and testing on focus groups.

Did anyone used to watch Madmen, the USA drama series about a Madison Avenue, New York advertising agency? The storyboard ideas that an ad agency comes up with have to sit well with the directors of a business and appeal to its customers.

If a brand doesnt see an increase in turnover as a result of an expensive ad campaign they are likely to take their media budget elsewhere next time.

In response to the prolonged cyber attack on Jaguar Land Rover, putting tens of thousands of jobs at JLR and in the supply chain ar risk, Farage said they deserved to go under. Why? Becasue he didn't like their latest ad as he deemed it woke.

Even Gen Z hate the new 'woke' Jaguar!" declared the Daily Mail. "Mark my words, Jaguar will go bust," Reform Party leader Nigel Farage predicted on X.

But the former Top Gear presenter James May told the BBC that the fact the ad was being talked about so widely has "got to be a bit of a result for Jaguar, hasn't it"?

Jaguar's managing director Rawdon Glover also hit back, insisting the company needed to be "bold and disruptive" in order to get its message across.

Reform MPs don’t seem to have the abiity to think beyond their own petty prejudices.

Maremia Wed 29-Oct-25 15:36:58

Is anything in the reported article untrue?

Maremia Wed 29-Oct-25 15:36:18

Of course. Glad you agree.

Aveline Wed 29-Oct-25 15:31:31

Oh well if it's on Facebook it must be true!!!

Maremia Wed 29-Oct-25 15:11:31

Quote from Facebook,
'Her ignorance of the industry she criticised could not be plainer. Advertising is a data-led profession built on measurement, testing and psychology. Agencies invest millions to understand who their audiences are and how best to reach them. When they feature people from a range of backgrounds, it is because that reflects reality and drives engagement. Britain's population is diverse; modern advertising reflects that.'

Babs03 Wed 29-Oct-25 14:58:23

Those who swear it isn’t racist can say so all they like but I will swear it is.
And on that note I will agree to disagree.

MayBee70 Wed 29-Oct-25 14:31:18

I think she just blurted out her true feelings on other ethnicities ( in the way that Farages mr nice guy persona slips occasionally).

Flippin2 Wed 29-Oct-25 14:24:45

I see it as it looks like all families are mixed race which isn't true, I think that's what she meant although she made a complete mess of saying it..

MayBee70 Wed 29-Oct-25 12:37:18

But do potential Reform voters, who think that the country is over run with foreigners, skip past the adverts? I think it just reinforces the message that Reform are trying to put out, even though it’s not true.

Maremia Wed 29-Oct-25 11:02:42

So, is it wrong to allegedly over represent people of colour in adverts, which we mostly all skip past,
but okay to over represent Reform politicians, in serious, well watched TV programmes?

Allira Wed 29-Oct-25 10:54:17

Maremia
X post 😂

Maremia Wed 29-Oct-25 10:53:25

Reform is over represented in the media?
Gosh, so it is.
Reform doesn't reflect the actual reality of how things are in Parliament?
And yet, Reform folk are on all the time.
I thought we didn't approve of that.
We want an accurate reflection of reality.
Where is the outrage????

Allira Wed 29-Oct-25 10:53:15

vegansrock

Maybe they are topping the polls because of their constant exposure. Reform MPs are definitely over represented in the media.

So pot, kettle, black then?

Maremia Wed 29-Oct-25 10:48:17

So, why did she have to apologise?

vegansrock Wed 29-Oct-25 10:45:39

Maybe they are topping the polls because of their constant exposure. Reform MPs are definitely over represented in the media.

foxie48 Wed 29-Oct-25 10:37:30

Oreo "people" can comment as much as they like but "people" in positions of power have to be mindful of how they express themselves publicly and IMO she wasn't. Even Farage tried to get her off the hook by saying she "didn't mean to be racist" therefore tacitly agreeing that what she had said was wrong and he said he didn't like what she said.

sundowngirl Wed 29-Oct-25 10:10:46

vegansrock

It makes me mad to see Reform MPs on TV so much when they are less than 1% of MPs…..

But they are topping all of the polls and are very likely to get far more seats at the next election

Oreo Wed 29-Oct-25 09:13:29

foxie48

No, her comment was racist because of who she is and what she represents. As an elected member of parliament she is in a position of power and has been elected to represent everyone in her constituency including people of colour. She's shown herself to be prejudiced and prejudice plus power equals racism.

Only a prejudice against a tick box exercise by companies making tv ads for products using a disproportionate number of black and Asian actors. People had already noticed this and commented to each other in RL.
The problem is that the companies are falling over themselves to copy each other and this has now become very obvious.
I think it does no service to black and Asian people in our country that it has been noticed and if companies had any sense they would row back a bit on it, just a bit doesn’t need much.

GrannyGravy13 Wed 29-Oct-25 09:05:45

We all want our ethnicity to be preserved and respected whatever our skin colour.