FORMER cabinet minister Sajid Javid has said Trevor Noah is “simply wrong” in claiming Rishi Sunak experienced a racist “backlash” after becoming the UK’s first British-Asian Prime Minister.
In a video posted on Twitter from his US satirical news programme The Daily Show, presenter and comedian Noah alleged there were people saying “now the Indians are going to take over Great Britain”.
Addressing the accusations, former chancellor and health secretary Javid reshared the Comedy Central clip and wrote: “Simply wrong. A narrative catered to his audience, at a cost of being completely detached from reality.
“Britain is the most successful multiracial democracy on earth and proud of this historic achievement.”
In Noah’s monologue, which was titled “Unpacking the backlash against new UK PM Rishi Sunak”, he said: “Watching the story of Rishi Sunak becoming England’s first Prime Minister of colour, of Indian descent, of all these things and then seeing the backlash is one of the more telling things about how people view the role that they or their people have played in history.
“And what I mean by that is this, you hear a lot of the people saying ‘Oh, they’re taking over, now the Indians are going to take over Great Britain and what’s next?’ “And I always find myself going ‘So what? What are you afraid of?'”
He continued: “You see people like Tucker Carlson [American Fox News host] all the time saying ‘You know what they’re trying to do? They won’t stop until black people and women are in positions of power’,… so what?”
He added: “Why are you so afraid? And I think it’s because the quiet part a lot of people don’t realise they are saying is ‘We don’t want these people who were previously oppressed to get into power because then they may do to us what we did to them.'”
Underneath the video, which has more than 850,000 views, social media users also questioned Noah’s comments with some accusing him of “projecting” American views on race on to Britain.
Historian, author and podcaster Tom Holland responded to Noah’s claims, writing: “As ever, the inability of American liberals to understand the world beyond the US in anything but American terms is a thing of wonder.
“(The likelihood of the right-wing party in the US choosing a Hindu as its leader is, I would agree, effectively zero.)”
New Statesman writer Jeremy Cliffe also took issue with the comedian's claims.
UK can't prevent US politicos and media (left & right) from crowbarring garbled accounts of British politics into their own culture wars - as Trevor Noah is doing here. But UK *can* decide whether or not it wants to import US culture wars into its own politics. https://t.co/7uMZop137j
— Jeremy Cliffe (@JeremyCliffe) October 27, 2022
Sharing the video, he said: "UK can't prevent US politicos and media (left & right) from crowbarring garbled accounts of British politics into their own culture wars - as Trevor Noah is doing here.
"But UK *can* decide whether or not it wants to import US culture wars into its own politics."
Barrister and political commentator Ruper Myers said Noah's claims were "depressing".
He said: "I really love @Trevornoah but this bit reveals a NYT-level lack of understanding of UK politics - there are a tiny minority of racists bleating about Rishi, sure, but it's absolutely nothing like the response he's claimed there's been, but Americans will lap this up. Depressing."
It’s telling that @Trevornoah cites a “racist backlash” against Rishi Sunak but only quotes Tucker Carlson, who I don’t believe is British nor involved in UK discourse… Americans - the backlash is mostly to do with the fact he’s married to a billionaire who didn’t pay UK tax https://t.co/SvEstn9xaH
— Julia Macfarlane 🏴🇮🇩 (@juliamacfarlane) October 27, 2022
And Julia Macfarlane tweeted: "It’s telling that @Trevornoah cites a “racist backlash” against Rishi Sunak but only quotes Tucker Carlson, who I don’t believe is British nor involved in UK discourse… Americans - the backlash is mostly to do with the fact he’s married to a billionaire who didn’t pay UK tax."
Others came out in Support of Noah, with user Tan Smith tweeting: "Trevor Noah is right. I’ve seen and called out the racism directed at Sunak due to his skin colour, it’s contemptible.
"I’ve also seen justified disgust at a corrupt government (which encouraged racism to poll higher) shoehorning in another PM. It’s a multifaceted shitshow."
National columnists Ruth Wishart said: "This is what the rest of the world thinks. The ever-witty Trevor Noah in lacerating form."
Hey @Trevornoah you’re spot on - there WAS and IS backlash at Rishi Sunak’s appointment as Britain’s 1st Asian Prime Minister. Don’t mind the liars denying it with their gaslighting. It’s what some Brits do best👏🏽.They are so bold with their Caucacity. Keep speaking truth👏🏽
— Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu (@SholaMos1) October 27, 2022
And activist Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu said: "Hey @Trevornoah you’re spot on - there WAS and IS backlash at Rishi Sunak’s appointment as Britain’s 1st Asian Prime Minister.
"Don’t mind the liars denying it with their gaslighting. It’s what some Brits do best.
"They are so bold with their Caucacity. Keep speaking truth."
Sunak was born in Hampshire, south-east England, to Indian migrant parents – a pharmacist mother and a GP father – and is married to Akshata Murty, the daughter of billionaire Indian IT giant Infosys founder NR Narayana Murthy, with whom he has two young daughters Krishna and Anoushka.
When he was appointed as Prime Minister on Tuesday, the 42-year-old became the UK’s first Hindu PM, the first of Asian heritage and the youngest for more than 200 years.
Last month, South African TV presenter Noah announced he will be stepping down as host of The Daily Show after seven years at the helm.
