Alex Armstrong has demanded answers from Labour minister Hamish Falconer on his parliamentary colleague Kate Osborne’s “beyond despicable” comments following the Berlin Pride attack.
In the wake of the car ramming, the left-wing MP blamed Reform UK and GB News for homophobic “hate” which led to the incident.
The Jarrow and Gateshead East MP accused the party and the People’s Channel of “spouting nonsense and broadcasting content and language that attacks and vilifies the LGBTQ+ community”.
She claimed both contributed to “patterns emerging across Europe” and “an escalation of hate and verbal attacks online” acted as a “catalyst for real-world physical violence”.
“This is why Pride still matters and why we all need to vocally stand up for minorities and condemn the hate.”
On Sunday, Abdul Ballout, a 21-year-old “dangerous Islamist” and prime suspect for the attack, was shot dead by police.
“Let me just say it is a horrific attack. We stand with Germany. We stand with the LGBT+ community,” Mr Falconer began, appearing on Britain’s News Channel, fearing the event would have a “chilling” effect on Pride events.
“We must not let it press too much upon us. We will take the steps necessary to keep people safe,” he insisted.
Alex Armstrong demanded answers from Hamish Falconer on his colleague Kate Osborne’s ‘beyond despicable’ comments
| GB NEWS
Alex was keen to press the Intergovernmental Relations Minister on his colleague’s comments.
“Labour MP Kate Osborne has seemingly used this attack to conflate, it seems, or point fingers at not only Reform UK but also GB News.
“I think that those comments are utterly disgusting. I think you’re making a political statement out of that attack, like that is beyond despicable.
“Will you condemn making such comments by politicians here in this country and indeed focus on the threat at hand?”
“I haven’t seen the comments that you’re referring to,” Mr Falconer responded.
“It’s obviously a totally horrific attack. We should all be united against it. But I haven’t seen the comments you’re referring to.”
Unsatisfied, Alex continued to press the minister on the apparent blame-shifting that had been “very prolific over the last 24 hours”.
“Do you think it’s appropriate for politicians to use an Islamist terrorist attack to blame other parts of Britain, or at least conflate the elements of the press and other political parties, and perhaps point fingers at them for this?”
‘I haven’t seen the comments, but that doesn’t sound right to me,’ the Labour minister said
| GB NEWS
Mr Falconer said: “I haven’t seen the comments, but it doesn’t seem to me that it has anything to do with the press in Britain.
“So I haven’t seen the comments, but that doesn’t sound right to me.”
Reform MP and Treasury spokesman Robert Jenrick was more direct in his criticism, branding Ms Osborne’s comments as “unhinged”.
“The left will do literally anything to avoid confronting the Islamist threat,” he said.
Ms Osborne told The People’s Channel: “Of course, the statement didn’t blame GB News for the attack – that is clear for all to see.
“GB News has legitimised hatred and allowed slurs against LGBT people in the name of ‘debate’. As my original statement said, we see these patterns emerging across Europe: an escalation of hate, and verbal attacks online act as a catalyst for real-world physical violence.”
