Reform MP Pochin Apologises as Row Intensifies

Reform MP Sarah Pochin said on TalkTV that “it drives me mad when I see adverts full of Black people, full of Asian people,” comments she later apologised for as “phrased poorly” while insisting she was criticising what she called DEI excess in advertising. The remarks provoked widespread condemnation — Labour leader Keir Starmer and Health Secretary Wes Streeting called them racist and opposition parties urged disciplinary action — while Reform leader Nigel Farage described the words as “ugly” but defended Pochin’s intent and resisted removing the whip. The row has focused attention on a documented shift in UK advertising since 2020: Channel 4’s Mirror on the Industry data shows Black representation in adverts rose from 37% in 2020 to 51% in 2022 (49% in 2023), despite Black people making up about 4% of the population of England and Wales. Commentators and regulators warn that increased representation can still perpetuate harmful stereotypes, citing criticism of recent Heinz campaigns and an Advertising Standards Authority ban on a Sanex ad. Pochin, who won the Runcorn and Helsby by-election in May and has previously courted controversy, said she would “endeavour to ensure [her] language is more accurate” while arguing advertising should be “proportionate and inclusive of everyone.”