Whipless Labour Party MP Zarah Sultana appeared on Good Morning Britain (GMB) on Monday 5 August to talk about the Islamophobia-fuelled race riots carried out by far-right racists and neo-Nazis over the weekend. Of course, far from getting even a fair hearing she was effectively set upon by the all-white hosts and panel. One of them just also happened to be the husband of the current home secretary – a certain Ed Balls
Race riots UK: just some tanked-up football lads
As the Canary previously reported, far-right racists, Islamophobes, and neo-Nazis went on a violent rampage in towns and cities between 2-4 August – hunting down Black and brown people.
They did this while claiming to be ‘taking their country back’ – by looting shops, attacking NHS workers, destroying libraries, and ransacking Citizens Advice Bureaus. The far-right also torched a police station. We’re not quite so concerned about that one, if we’re honest.
Anti-fascists also came out across the UK to resist the far right. They were not having the fact that the far right were claiming to be ‘protecting children’ in the wake of Axel Rudakubana’s alleged murder of three little girls – unless you believe everything in the above paragraph does actually protect kids.
However, politicians and the media have failed to label the race riots in those terms. Specifically, they’ve referred to them as “anti-immigration” or “pro-British” protests or “far-right thuggery”.
Central to this have been home secretary Yvette Cooper and prime minister Keir Starmer. Cooper had, up until 5 August, failed to call the riots racist or Islamophobic. Starmer, meanwhile, said some of the far-right’s actions included ‘targetting Muslim communities’ and using “racist rhetoric” – while calling them “far-right thuggery” overall.
All this paints the picture of tanked-up football lads who’ve got a bit out of control. It does not paint a picture of the reality: that far-right, neo-Nazis groups have organised pogroms across the country, fuelled by years of racism from politicians and the corporate media.
Zarah Sultana attacked by a load of white people live on GMB
So, on 5 August Zarah Sultana tried to redress the balance in narrative on GMB – and was not only shut down by the four white people on the panel, but effectively infantilised and talked over.
In what was at best deeply uncomfortable viewing, and at worst a politically-motivated assault, Sultana was first subject to several minutes of firstly lies. Kate Garraway and Ed Balls both claimed that the far-right attacks HAD been called “racist” – with Ball in particular hammering home this point.
This is a lie – as explained above. Starmer did not call the riots “racist” – he said we’d seen:
Wanton violence alongside racist rhetoric.
This is not the same thing – the point Sultana was trying to make. Then, Garraway questioned why Sultana was adamant that the term “Islamophobic” should be used. We wonder if the far-right was attacking synagogues whether this debate would be had.
Throughout, Balls dropped any sense of impartiality – as people were pointing out on X; even corporate journalists:
A woman of colour tries to have a serious conversation about racism, Ed Balls constantly interrupts her, then all the men laugh. The failure of the media to understand their own role in this crisis perfectly encapsulated https://t.co/6zgNnY1Gls
— Alexander Brown (@AlexofBrown) August 5, 2024
.@zarahsultana, a Muslim MP, says UK race riots should rightly be called racist and Islamophobic. Ed Balls, husband of the Home Secretary, sneers at her. White commentators with no lived experience of racism have a good laugh seemingly at Zarah's expense.pic.twitter.com/3yYhCKnqeD
— Nadine White. (@Nadine_Writes) August 5, 2024
How did we get to this point…?
Of course, the broader point Zarah Sultana was trying to make was that every person sitting opposite her on GMB had played their part in getting us to the point where Britain is seeing race riots again – not least Daily Mail ‘journalist’ Andrew Pierce:
Here you go @edballs and @toryboypierce. Maybe you can stop smirking when you’re being told about it. Shameful from both of you. pic.twitter.com/05OhT16Zar
— Danielle C (@Dani1987C) August 5, 2024
Even GMB regular guests called it out:
This is unacceptable & deeply uncomfortable viewing. An entire white panel questioning a brown woman like a suspect. Ed Balls and Kate have left their homes this morning with no fear. Zarah and every other brown/black person left knowing they are a targetpic.twitter.com/QVRL5HmfG9
— Narinder Kaur (@narindertweets) August 5, 2024
But don’t worry! Just to hammer home the point that racist GMB is more interested in clicks and viewer figures than journalism – Ed Balls was then allowed to interview his wife, who for the first time in nearly a week of race rioting used the term Islamophobic:
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper is asked why the govt hasn't used the term 'Islamophobic". In her answer Cooper (finally) uses the word.
As for husband interviewing wife, how does #GMB think this is tenable? pic.twitter.com/jjtnjdECnp
— Saul Staniforth (@SaulStaniforth) August 5, 2024
To the other GMB panellists Pierce and former Labour MP Ben Bradshaw, the whole, disgusting segment was amusing:
As the tiny man that is Ed Balls harangs @zarahsultana and frames her as an aggressive woman of colour, look at the response of these two. Disgusting. https://t.co/DrkNhFAxoD pic.twitter.com/yW4IzOU0TF
— C (@Obseyxx) August 5, 2024
Ultimately though, it was this – wasn’t it?
As the tiny man that is Ed Balls harangs @zarahsultana and frames her as an aggressive woman of colour, look at the response of these two. Disgusting. https://t.co/DrkNhFAxoD pic.twitter.com/yW4IzOU0TF
— C (@Obseyxx) August 5, 2024
Centrists (and the left) are quick to call out GB News for its complete lack of broadcasting impartiality – where Tory MPs interview Tory MPs. But in fact, GMB may be worse.
Allowing Balls, who is NOT a journalist, to interview his own wife after trashing a brown woman in a rampant display of misogyny and racism – just because she is politically and ethically the polar opposite of his nasty white ass – should be a matter for Ofcom.
But this is GMB. So, it is unlikely to be.
Racists gonna racist at Zarah Sultana
Ultimately, Sultana’s experience not only showed just how corrupt and biased the corporate media is – but also how racists Balls, Garraway, Pierce, and Bradshaw all thought Sultana’s appearance was a joke – because to them, far-right race riots, while unpleasant, don’t actually threaten their lives.
Once again, GMB showed how the political and media class in the UK – and West – inherently believe Black and brown people are lesser humans than white people. But no! Britain isn’t institutionally and systemically racist.
Featured image via Saul Staniworth – screengrab
