Suella Braverman was grilled about her views on identity during a debate on who can call themselves English.

The Reform MP was challenged on her comments on BBC’s Question Time after appearing to suggest people who are not white could not be English.

Braverman, who was born in London, was also accused of playing into the hands of racists after suggesting she was not of ‘English origin’ due to her parents and grandparents having been born abroad.

Bruce asked her: ‘If someone’s going to call themselves English, I presume you’ve got an idea in mind as to what they would be?’

Braverman responded: ‘My parents were not born here, my grandparents were not born in England, so in my particular instance, I’m not of English origin.’

‘I get what you’re saying it isn’t, but what is it?’ Bruce asked, insisting she give a straight answer.

The 46-year-old politician eventually offered her definition of Englishness, suggesting a ‘few generations’ is appropriate.

She said: ‘I think it becomes pretty obvious when people have got a lineage, an ancestry, a connection, to the heritage of this country, which dates back a few generations.

‘I think that’s not unreasonable to expect of people who come to this country.’

An audience guest, a black man, challenged Braverman on her views during the episode, accusing her of reinforcing ‘the racist argument’ and internalised racism.

‘I’ve been on this planet for 54 years, and the amount of times I’ve been told I’m not English, even though I was born here. If I had a penny for every time I’ve been given that, I’d be a very rich man,’ the man said.

The former Tory Home Secretary replied: ‘So I’m being racist against myself? That makes a lot of sense, with respect. I’m not going to be racist against myself.’

‘Basically you are,’ the audience member insisted.

New Statesman journalist Oli Dugmore also weighed in on the debate, saying that while Braverman is allowed to personally identify as she wants, ‘the political function of what she was saying, that you can only be English if you’re white, is a racist point of view.’

Braverman, who defected to Reform from the Conservatives earlier this year, took to social media after the Question Time episode.

She wrote: ‘You’ve called me racist this evening- albeit in a contorted way- but in doing so, you’ve lowered the tone of the debate with divisive and inflammatory language. And absurdly, you’re suggesting that I’m being racist against myself.

‘It’s because of irresponsible language like yours that we in Reform need security. The left can keep smearing us as racist for challenging the cosy consensus on mass migration but we will not be bullied into silence.’

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