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WATCH: Geoff Hoon defends Mary-Ann Stephenson after claiming migrants are 'demonised'
Dec 22, 2025
GB News host Andrew Pierce brutally shut down ex-Labour MP Geoff Hoon for defending the Government's decision to delay local elections.Quizzed by the Britain's Newsroom anchor on the decision, Mr Hoon was asked whether the delay is down to the Government wanting to "some degree of humiliation".FULL STORY HERE.
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0:00
Morning. What was your reaction to Marianne Stevenson's comments
0:05
Do you think they were timely or perhaps a little bit tone deaf? Well, she's a new appointee and obviously it's her job to stand up
0:13
for individual rights as guaranteed by British law and international law. So not entirely surprising that she should defend the European Convention
0:22
That's after all what her job is about. No, I think that's absolutely true
0:27
you would expect her to defend the convention. And, of course, the Equalities Act is very much based on some of that law
0:34
But what does seem extraordinary is that she's saying that those who comment
0:38
that mass immigration is a net negative are wrong, when actually we've got so much data out there
0:44
Even the ONS now admit that mass migration has been bad for the economy, let's say
0:49
How is she trying to shut down speech over these very legitimate debates
0:54
I think it's important that people do have their say on those kinds of issues
0:58
People have views and they're entitled to express them strongly. And ironically, actually, of course, the convention would protect the rights of people to set out their views in a forthright way
1:10
So I think to that extent, I don't think there's a problem. The convention is there to protect individual rights, individual liberty against the threats from totalitarianism
1:21
do you think that it perhaps signals what a mess our equalities legislation is in because
1:29
she is in a difficult position she's got to defend a whole load of competing rights we've already
1:34
been talking on the on the program about the problem over the so trans guidance for toilets the kind of supposed battle between trans rights to use the toilets of their choice and women rights to have a protected space Is this just not another example of how we in such a mess from an equality point of view
1:51
One person's right to talk about immigration is threatened by another person's, an immigrant's, right to feel safe
1:58
That's absolutely correct, but that goes to the heart of all legal debates
2:02
I qualified lawyer many years ago and the reality is all law, whether it's law protecting individual rights or any other kind of law is a balance
2:14
And society has to strike a balance between the absolute rights of individuals and the interests of society
2:20
And your examples are very good ones. They do demonstrate the balance that has to be struck ultimately by judges, sometimes by ministers, by all of us in our daily lives
2:31
We have to recognise that other people have rights as well as our own
2:36
Is she right, Geoff Hoon, to wade into the whole contentious area
2:40
of the European Court and Human Rights by saying we must remain in it, it's a factor for good when the official opposition now and Reform UK
2:48
are saying we should come out of it. And in fact, the Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, has said
2:53
it needs to be reformed because it's not functioning properly. And yet she's appearing to give it a blank cheque
2:59
I think she's entitled to set out her opinion in relation to the European Convention
3:05
As I said a few moments ago, in a sense, it's her job to protect a document that guarantees individual liberty
3:12
And indeed, I would say, and I support this part of her argument
3:16
I would say that this is wholly consistent with British values the protection of individual liberty fairness the way in which society operates equal treatment for people
3:29
I think that's something that is fundamental to the British way of life
3:33
And it's not terribly surprising that it was Winston Churchill who was one of the prime movers in the drafting of the European Convention, largely produced by British lawyers
3:42
I do think it's something that goes to the heart of the way in which this country works
3:46
Of course, he did later regret some of the expansion of that convention
3:52
So, Jeff, I'm sure you have better things to do than follow the slightly crazed online right debate within America that seems to be tearing itself apart over immigration and issues of race
4:02
But Unheard carried an interview with J.D. Vance this morning, and they were asking him about whether or not people who became American citizens recently were more American than people who have been there for 10 generations
4:16
And he said, whether you got your citizenship an hour ago or you got your citizenship or your family got citizenship 10 generations ago, we have to treat all Americans equally
4:26
Translating this into the British context, how do we make sure that we are treating immigrants well
4:30
but are able to have the very difficult conversations about far too high levels of immigration
4:35
the inferior cultures that some people come from in terms of how women are treated and all those difficult debates
4:42
I think you're right. And again, it goes back to the point you made a few moments ago about the need to balance individual liberty as against the interests of the wider society
4:51
And ultimately, that's a matter for government. Governments decide those things on the basis of the manifesto that they put before the people at an election time
5:00
And therefore those decisions and the present government have reflected hard on these problems and have called for for example a change to the European Convention to to deal with the problem of migration and the way that we deal with people in this country
5:17
So I think that there are many aspects of what you've been saying that I would wholly agree with
5:22
I think it is a question of balance. Trying to get that balance right is ultimately a matter for government
5:27
Can I take you slightly off piece now? Are you entirely comfortable, Geoff Hewn, as a former cabinet minister, that the government is now proposing that up to elections in up to 63 districts could be cancelled in May because of reorganisation of local government
5:43
Well, I read in the local newspapers here in Derbyshire the tremendous debates that are taking place
5:50
about the future of local government. And as I understand it, that is taking place right across the country
5:56
So I think it does make sense when that is still a matter of debate
6:01
and discussion, that we don't have elections on the basis of organisations that perhaps in a few years' time will not exist
6:08
So I think there's a pragmatic argument for that. It will save the country a great deal of money
6:13
It will also save us having to elect councillors who perhaps a year or so later will be out of their job
6:20
It will also save Labour some degree of humiliation, I suspect, at the ballot box
6:24
because they were predicted to do very, very badly in those May elections, as you well know
6:29
I'm sure that wasn't a consideration affected. Did you say that with a straight face
6:36
It's Christmas. Geoffrey, thank you so much for joining us this morning
6:41
Happy Christmas, Geoff. Always good to talk to you. The same to you both. Thank you very much
6:44
Thank you. Well done
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