Rylan’s migrant rant: Why Labour’s failures led us here

Read time: 4 mins

In brief…

• Rylan Clark shared misinformation on morning TV about benefits received by asylum seekers entering the UK, suggesting they were having a “lovely time” in migrant hotels, and could pose an inherent threat to people living nearby.
• While the presenter acknowledged legal migrants' contributions to Britain, some of his views were influenced by far-right talking points and inaccuracies.
• The News Agents say the blame for misinformation spreading so widely across the UK falls in the lap of Keir Starmer’s Labour, which has failed to counter far right lies and made no attempt to steer the conversation since coming to power.

What’s the story?

It's one thing to listen to misinformation about asylum seekers from Rupert Lowe on social media, it's quite another to hear it from Rylan Clark on ITV’s This Morning.

The much-loved TV presenter has faced criticism for comments he made on the show, echoing lies about asylum seekers and migrant hotels in the UK, while trying to present a balanced opinion on the treatment of people entering the UK.

And while he stated he believes the UK was "built on legal immigration", he also claimed people in migrant hotels were being given free iPhones and iPads, and access to NHS services inside hotel receptions, and suggested they are having a "lovely time".

Asylum seekers are given £49.18 per week to cover the costs of food, clothing and toiletries, but those in hotels where food is provided – that Rylan was referring to – get just £9.95 per week.

Rylan said he was concerned about what asylum seekers were "capable of", and said that anyone who arrives at Calais in a small boat is taken immediately to a four-star hotel.

Why are Rylan’s comments concerning?

What Rylan said wasn’t intentionally anti-migrant. In fact, the framing of his monologue – praising the impact of legal migrants  on the UK – was overtly pro-migrant.

It was the seamless inclusion of right-wing talking points, and falsehoods, that set alarm bells ringing.

“Normally, This Morning is not the place where matters of high politics are often discussed,” says Lewis Goodall.

“They do have politicians on from time to time, but it's not that sort of show.

“Rylan spoke about small boats and about how he feels it's got out of control, rehearsing many of the talking points that we've seen litigated all summer.”

Lies about what asylum seekers are given when they arrive in the UK, or the quality of the hotels in which they are homed, have fuelled public anger and protests in recent months.

“Asylum seekers are not particularly likely to go to four or five star hotels,” Lewis adds.

“The life of an asylum seeker is not a happy one, but nonetheless, he's rehearsing that.”

Jon Sopel says that after months of misinformation, protest and media coverage, what Rylan said on This Morning will resonate with a lot of people – and not just the “reasonable” parts of what he said.

And, with so many other political issues in the UK, all roads lead back to Keir Starmer and his Labour government – and its almost total failure to steer or shape UK conversations after more than a year in Downing Street.

How is this Labour’s fault?

Whether you agree with their right-wing politics or not, there’s no doubt people such as Nigel Farage and Robert Jenrick are very good at social media.

They know how to appeal to their supporters, and rage-bait those who vehemently disagree with them, with provocative content – even if much of it does skirt around the facts in any given situation.

Labour, with its old-fashioned slogans, stiff-statements and poorly presented images does none of these things.

“The government has allowed a space to open where they are not even trying to direct the flow of conversation,” Lewis says.

“There have been no counter narratives. There have been no attempts to fact check some of this stuff.

“When you have the government – day after day, week after week – stepping back, and the agenda being what it is, you end up with it being discussed on This Morning by well known television presenters.”

But, he adds, this is no bad thing – and should be something Starmer, and Labour, should embrace.

“Rylan is not an ideologue. He's exactly, I would say, where a median voter is.

For that reason, Rylan is “exactly the sort of person” the government should be talking to, in order to steer UK conversation the way it wants.

Listen to the latest episode of The News Agents.