Politics Ash Sarkar Question Time

Ash Sarkar had the perfect response to an angry Question Time audience member’s defence of the so-called patriotic anti-immigration gangs

Oonagh Keating. Updated September 25th, 2026

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On Thursday, gangs of initially masked men dressed in black surrounded a police station in Basingstoke, where far-right Tommy Robinson ally and anti-immigration thug, Daniel Thomas, was being held after broadcasting himself stabbing a dinghy with a rescue worker on board.

The issue came up during BBC’s Question Time, with the panellists pondering this –

‘Should we be more worried about protesters than people on small boats?’

Novara Media’s Ash Sarkar addressed the elephant in the room.

One obviously right-wing audience member was angry at her critcism of the mobs.

Watch their exchange.

“The thing that I’m opposing here is the politics of hatred and division, and this kind of violent fantasizing that then expresses itself in slashing boats when people are vulnerable and at sea. That is wrong. It’s wrong whoever does it.”

Who could argue with that sentiment? Erm …these model citizens, apparently.

Not everyone felt like that, though. There was a virtual round of applause for her handling of the situation, and some serious concerns about the audience member.

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There were more sympathetic points of view on the man’s position, which also avoided joining him in his bigotry. Like this one.

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