Reform’s head of policy Zia Yusuf startled BBC Question Time audience members on Thursday with his curt response to a question.
During an immigration special, one member of the crowd took issue with the anti-immigration party’s claim that there are enough people in the UK to “not need foreign doctors”.
The man in the audience said: “I joined the NHS as a student in 1974. We’ve been totally reliant on doctors from Asia initially, and the care sector is totally dependent on care workers from abroad, despite nine million people not being in work.”
He said population growth and a shortage of funds for hospitals has gone down, telling Yusuf: “So you’re conflating lots of different things to make your argument.”
He pointed out that Reform has promised migrant workers will lose their indefinite leave to remain if they get into government.
“So if you’ve worked as a care worker in nursing home for 40 years, you are already since last year not allowed to bring your children over,” the man said.
“When you get to 65, you’ll be sent back to where you came from, is that what you’re suggesting?”
Yusuf said: “No. It’s not at all. And if you’d paid attention to what we are announcing, you would not have that view.”
A surprised “ooh” went around the hall at that response, but Yusuf continued: “My mother is a care home worker –”
Migration minister Mike Tapp then chimed in: “Typically rude. Be polite to people at the same time. They’re not decent, that’s the problem.”
Yusuf ignored the response to his tone and said Reform have announced they will have an “acute skills shortage visa specifically for sectors like the care home sector”.
The Reform representative also hit out at the show later, criticising the BBC for supposedly “planting” small boat migrants in the audience.
Yusuf told GB News: “How on earth it should be deemed appropriate that people who have broken into this country illegally should have a seat at the table in a discussion about illegal immigration… it is bewildering.”
