Suella Braverman ‘stoking racism with crazy rhetoric on migrants’, her own adviser says

Suella Braverman’s short tenure as Home Secretary has been mired in controversy (Picture: WireImage)

Suella Braverman’s ‘crazy rhetoric’ on migrants is stoking racism in Britain, one of the Home Secretary’s own advisers has said.

Nimco Ali was appointed as an independent adviser on tackling violence against women in 2020, and effectively quit live on air during an interview on Friday.

Ms Ali told Times Radio she was on a ‘completely different planet’ to Ms Braverman when it came ‘to the rights of women and girls’.

She then followed up these comments by saying Ms Braverman’s ‘crazy rhetoric’ about migrants was ‘basically feeding into this Nigel Farage stuff’.

‘When you start to normalise these things it’s really hard to put it back in its box,’ the 39-year-old told The Sunday Times.

Asked if she believed Ms Braverman’s language was helping fuel racism in the UK, Ms Ali said: ‘100%. It’s legitimising it. When somebody like her says it, you think, you’re still talking about people of your own heritage to a certain extent but you’re also normalising the Nigel Farages.’

After coming to Britain from Somalia at the age of four as a refugee, Ms Ali was just seven when she was subjected to female genital mutilation.

Speaking with The Times, Ms Ali said the final straw for her had been the sight of Ms Braverman’s eyes ‘lighting up’ while discussing the controversial migrant policy at the Conservative Party conference.

Nimco Ali is an outgoing Government adviser on violence against women (Picture: PA)

The Home Secretary controversially said it was her ‘dream’ and ‘obsession’ to deport people to Rwanda.

‘I don’t know why your ambition is to put people on a flight to Rwanda and get rid of human rights,’ Ms Ali said.

‘You are a woman of colour. I can understand when white able-bodied men say it, but you? Even talking about it now makes me anxious.

‘I think that’s the difference between her and (former home secretary) Priti (Patel). Priti talked about policy but there wasn’t this vindictiveness. It was a lack of compassion. It really doesn’t cost anything to be kind.’

More: News

A source close to Ms Braverman said: ‘The Home Secretary is determined to make our streets and homes safer for women and girls. That’s why she has made violence against women and girls one of her key priorities at the Home Office and today backed a new law on public sexual harassment.

‘She will continue to focus on this policy and the rights of women and girls to live safely in our country.’

It is understood Ms Ali’s contract was coming to an end before Christmas, and she had not met Ms Braverman since her appointment as Home Secretary.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at [email protected].

For more stories like this, check our news page.

Nimco Ali said she was on a ‘completely different planet’ to the Home Secretary when it came to the rights of women.