Tories call EHRC chair’s comments a ‘disgrace’ after she warns ‘demonisation of migrants’ bad for UK – politics live

Chris Philp says Mary-Ann Stephenson is dismissing ‘legitimate concerns about mass migration’

The Conservatives and Reform UK have strongly criticised the new head of the Equality and Human Rights Commission for criticising the “demonisation” of migrants”.

Mary-Ann Stephenson, who took up her post as chair of the EHRC at the start of the month, appealed for restraint in language used to discuss migrants in an interview with PA Media published last night.

The interview, as published, largely focused on Stephenson’s thoughts about the European convention on human rights. But it also included this comment from her about immigration.

I think it’s really important that we have honesty in the way that we talk about human rights, and that we also have a recognition that the demonisation of migrants, the creating this idea that migration causes huge risks for the country, can make the lives not just of migrants to the UK, but of ethnic minority UK citizens, very, very difficult.