A row has erupted over diversity in advertising after Reform UK MP Sarah Pochin said she was frustrated by television adverts she described as being “full of black people, full of Asian people.”
Pochin, who represents Runcorn and Helsby, made the comments during a TalkTV phone-in on Saturday, agreeing with a caller who complained that “all the white men in adverts are made to look stupid.”
The caller said they were tired of seeing adverts where “every family is mixed-race” or “the white dad is always a fool.” Pochin replied: “You’re absolutely right. It drives me mad when I see adverts full of black people, full of Asian people.” She added that adverts “don’t reflect society” and that “your average white person” is “not represented anymore.”
Her remarks were swiftly condemned by political opponents. Prime Minister Keir Starmer branded them “shocking racism” and said they were “the sort of thing that’ll tear our country apart.” The Liberal Democrats also called for Pochin to be suspended from Reform UK, describing her comments as “blatantly racist.”
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said he was “unhappy” with Pochin’s comments, which he described as “wrong and ugly,” but defended her intent. “I understand the basic point but the way she put it, the way she worded it, was wrong and was ugly,” he said at a press conference. “And if I thought that the intention behind it was racist then I would have taken a lot more action than I have to date.”
Pochin later apologised, saying her comments had been “phrased poorly” and were “not intended to offend.” She added: “The point I was making is that many British TV adverts have gone DEI [diversity, equity and inclusion] mad and are now unrepresentative of British society as a whole.”
She cited a Channel 4 study which found that the proportion of adverts featuring black people rose from 37% in 2020 to 51% in 2022, following the Black Lives Matter movement. The Channel 4 study found that more than half of UK adverts now feature black people, a demographic that represents roughly 4% of the population.“Representation should reflect the diversity of modern Britain, but it should also be proportionate and inclusive of everyone,” Pochin said.
Labour chairwoman Anna Turley has written to Mr Farage asking if he will withdraw the Reform UK whip from Pochin.
Chris Philp, the Conservative shadow home secretary, said the comments were “completely wrong.”
The row has reignited debate about how modern Britain is portrayed in advertising. Supporters of more diverse representation say it helps to reflect the country’s multicultural reality, while critics argue that some campaigns exaggerate diversity and stereotype white men.
What do you think? Are modern TV adverts fairly reflecting society, or have they gone too far in trying to be inclusive? Send us your views at or let us know what you think in the comments.
