A protester who heckled UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has dismissed her characterization of him as a “white liberal,” pointing to his own background as a migrant from Malaysia. Joe, 32, who declined to provide his full name, came to the UK as a child at age four. He said Mahmood’s proposed immigration rule changes would have left him and thousands of children in a state of uncertainty.
“Imagine being a child growing up and not knowing whether you’re going to be deported out of this country?” Joe said during an interview. He was among protesters from Green New Deal Rising (GND Rising) who interrupted Mahmood at a live event in central London last week. The home secretary had told hecklers to “fuck right off” after they accused her of copying policies from Nigel Farage’s Reform UK.
Joe told Mahmood he wanted to “personally thank you for out-Reforming Reform” before being escorted out. Two other audience members shouted “refugees welcome” as security removed him. The incident occurred during a recording of comedian Matt Forde’s The Political Party podcast at the Duchess theatre.
Mahmood later said claims she was chasing Reform votes were “just a way of delegitimising the point of view that I bring to the table.” She suggested there was a racist element, stating, “How dare you, a brown woman, say a thing that we white liberals think you’re not allowed to say?”
Joe rejected this framing, noting he is a person of colour. “She’s calling me, a person of colour, a white liberal. But what she’s doing is incredibly illiberal,” he said. He argued that his heckling was a last resort after exhausting democratic routes, including writing to his MP and signing petitions without response.
Proposed Immigration Changes
Mahmood plans to end permanent protection for refugees, requiring reviews every 30 months and potential return home when safe. Refugees cannot bring family until self-sufficient and would only qualify for permanent settlement after 20 years. The time for most overseas workers to gain permanent settlement would double from five to 10 years.
Joe pointed to statistics suggesting 90,000 vulnerable young people could be kept in poverty by these changes to indefinite leave to remain (ILR). “It’s just cruel. And it comes from the fact that the Labour party is so desperate to get the heat off of their backs because they’re so unpopular,” he said. He accused Labour of “throwing migrants under the bus” to pander to Reform voters instead of addressing the cost of living crisis and inequality.
Broader Context
GND Rising is a UK youth-led climate campaign that also focuses on migrant rights. Joe emphasized the connection between climate and migration, stating that the global north produces greenhouse gases that disproportionately affect the global south. He said his British citizenship changed his life trajectory, allowing him to contribute through taxes and community involvement. “This is indicative of migrant communities who come and give the UK colour and vibrancy,” he added.
