FORMER LBC broadcaster Sangita Myska has called out Ed Balls and Kate Garraway for their “very disappointing” interview with Zarah Sultana.
We told how the former shadow chancellor came in for criticism for his interview with the MP for Coventry South as he consistently spoke over and interrupted her.
Myska, who previously lost her job with LBC following a tense interview with an Israeli spokesperson, took to social media to criticise the interview.
Very disappointing from Ed Balls and Kate Garraway. They display classic reverse affinity bias. Unable to perceive Muslim female MP, Zarah Sultana, as both a politician AND someone affected by the trauma of the worst race riots in decades they use a completely inappropriate tone https://t.co/EChZ6OQKeX
— Sangita Myska (@SangitaMyska) August 5, 2024
She said: “Very disappointing from Ed Balls and Kate Garraway. They display classic reverse affinity bias.
“Unable to perceive Muslim female MP Zarah Sultana, as both politician AND someone affected by the trauma of the worst race riots in decades they use a completely inappropriate tone.”
Sultana pointed out to Balls that far-right rioters were “telling people like me to go home”.
Sultana herself has since responded to the criticism of the interview, writing on Twitter/X: "The sneering contempt of 'journalists' will never stop me from calling out racism and Islamophobic hate."
SNP MSP Elena Whitham was also among those to call out Balls for the interview, telling him to “stick to dancing and leave the journalism to journalists”.
National columnist Jonathon Shafi meanwhile shared a clip of the interview and said: “Look how hyper-defensive and condescending Ed Balls is.
“Completely unprofessional, and callous, given the context.”
We also told how a number of viewers were left in disbelief that Balls had been allowed to ask questions to the Home Secretary, his wife Yvette Cooper (below), on the programme.
Following a series of riots throughout England and Northern Ireland over the weekend, the Prime Minister held an emergency Cobra meeting on Monday.
Starmer said that a “standing army” of police officers would be set up to deal with rioting and unrest.
Speaking after the meeting, he said: “There are a number of actions that came out of the meeting.
“The first is we will have a standing army of specialist public duty officers so that we will have enough officers to deal with this where we need them.
“The second is we will ramp up criminal justice. There have already been hundreds of arrests, some have appeared in court this morning.
“I have asked for early consideration of the earliest naming and identification of those involved in the process who will feel the full force of the law.”
Justice and policing is a devolved matter in Scotland, although none of the riots over the weekend took place north of the Border.
Downing Street also rejected Nigel Farage’s claim that there is “two-tier policing” in the UK, with Starmer’s official spokesperson saying: “The Prime Minister wouldn’t recognise that characterisation of policing.
“The job of the police is to keep everyone safe, to tackle violence and disorder no matter the origination.”
