Susanna Reid delivered a pointed critique of the government’s immigration policy during her appearance on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg.
Highlighting successive governments’ failure to frame immigration positively, Reid argued that the UK relies on migrants to sustain public services and drive economic growth.
She took aim at former immigration minister Chris Philp, calling it “remarkable” that he could lecture on immigration while acknowledging nearly a million legal migrants entered the UK in the year to June 2023 under his government.
Reid pressed the need for clarity on how such numbers would be supported in terms of NHS capacity and housing.
Her call for a more balanced narrative was clear: “Governments need to say: we need migrants, they are positive and valuable contributors to our society, but this is the number roughly we need.”
Reid’s comments have been praised for cutting through the divisive rhetoric often dominating the immigration debate.