Reform MP apologises after saying 'adverts full of black people, full of Asian people'

A Reform UK MP has apologised after saying "it drives me mad when I see adverts full of black people, full of Asian people". Sarah Pochin said her comments were "phrased poorly", but maintained that many adverts are "unrepresentative of British society". The MP for Runcorn and Helsby responded to a TalkTV viewer who complained about modern-day adverts.

She said: "It doesn't reflect our society, and I feel that your average white person, average white family is... not represented anymore." Ms Pochin, Reform's first by-election-winning MP, blamed it on the "woke liberati" in the "arty-farty world". She added: "It might be fine inside the M25, but it's definitely not representative of the rest of the country."

Ms Pochin took to social media to apologise for her comments, but still insisted that adverts on TV "have gone DEI mad".

She wrote on X: "My comments on a Talk TV phone-in earlier today were phrased poorly and I unreservedly apologise for any offence caused, which was not my intention.

"The point I was making is that many British TV adverts have gone DEI mad and are now unrepresentative of British society as a whole.

"This is not an attack on any group but an observation about balance and fairness in how our country is portrayed on screen.

"A study commissioned by Channel 4 as part of its Mirror On The Industry project, found that Black people were featured in more than half of adverts in 2022, up sharply from 37 per cent in 2020 following the Black Lives Matter movement.

"By contrast, Black people make up around 4 per cent of the population in England and Wales, according to the 2021 Census.

"Representation in advertising should reflect the diversity of modern Britain, but it should also be proportionate and inclusive of everyone. My comments were made in that context, and I stand by the principle that equality should mean fairness for all."