On 30 October, Suella Braverman, the Home Secretary, described pro-Palestine marches as “hate marches”. Stephen twice spoke in Parliament today to challenge her comments.
Since the start of the conflict in Gaza, the Palestine Solidarity Campaign has held weekly marches to protest for an end to the war. Last week, the Home Secretary characterised these marches as “hate marches”. Her comments have been widely condemned, including by Conservative MPs.
Stephen spoke in Parliament twice today to challenge her comments.
During a statement on the humanitarian situation in Gaza, Stephen asked Andrew Mitchell, the Minister of State for Africa and Development, if he would distance himself from Suella Braverman’s comments, saying “constituents I’ve been talking to are decent, law-abiding citizens with no truck at all with Hamas, but horrified by the scenes they are seeing.”
Andrew Mitchell replied that “we are all responsible for what we say, and [the Home Secretary] said it in the way she did.”
Later, Stephen spoke in a debate on the King’s Speech. He criticised the Home Secretary again and asked her to apologise for her comments. Stephen stated that constituents he has spoken to are “motivated by distress and compassion” and that “[The Home Secretary] has no right to impugn their motives so unfairly.”