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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

OP posts:
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12
Allseeingallknowing · 12/02/2026 21:01

DuncinToffee · 12/02/2026 20:59

Again how does he know the number of illegal immigrants?

Or are you talking about asylum seekers? In that case his numbers are even more out.

Government statistics?

cardibach · 12/02/2026 21:01

BlueJuniper94 · 12/02/2026 20:42

I don't think it was a deliberate lie. Nobody who didnt already agree would have been persuaded.

If it wasn’t a deliberate lie he’s too stupid to check before speaking. Which would you prefer? And of course he’s trying to manipulate people with it.

balletflatblister · 12/02/2026 21:02

What is anyone's aim in having him apologize exactly? This is simply what he thinks. If you don't agree - and I don't for what it's worth even if I think there are some real issues with immigration policy - then just say otherwise.

Autumngirl5 · 12/02/2026 21:02

Allseeingallknowing · 12/02/2026 19:19

Completely agree

I agree with this too. Also he is entitled to his opinion even if people disagree with him.

Dollymylove · 12/02/2026 21:02

Ask the people of Crowborough what they think. Wanting to protect their daughters is racist yeah?

cardibach · 12/02/2026 21:02

Yellowshirt · 12/02/2026 20:38

We have the highest energy prices in Europe. The government could step in tomorrow to cut prices.
How much tax do we pay on a litre of petrol?
Yes the government could step in tomorrow and help working people.
How can they can afford 7 million pounds for hotels for immigrants if its not that easy.

How can the government control the prices of private companies? Blaming Labour for Tory shortcomings. Again.

cardibach · 12/02/2026 21:04

Goatsarebest · 12/02/2026 20:43

Well UK borrows 150 billion a year to sustain the State it has created and plenty think the State should spend more, so he is correct. It's not sustainable to have the number of economically inactive people we currently have. What policies and priorities need to change are another debate. But the reaction was that what he said was offensive, not that we can not afford to run the Country how we currently are doing. So now the real truth that our society is bancrupt but spends other people's money to sustain it and we need to decide how to deal with this, has been lost in a debate of what is offensive and if an apology is an apology. A very familiar pattern.

Well maybe he should pay the millions of pounds of tax he’s avoided then. He’s on no position to comment. At all.
Edit: ‘I’m sorry if you were offended’ is not an apology. It’s an accusation of over sensitivity.

DuncinToffee · 12/02/2026 21:04

Allseeingallknowing · 12/02/2026 21:01

Government statistics?

On illegal immigrants?

Can you share them?

cardibach · 12/02/2026 21:05

CanSeeClearlyNowTheRainHasGone · 12/02/2026 20:48

He's not an immigrant.
He's a British citizen living abroad.

If we're going to get upset about people spouting things not borne out by facts we should not come back with other falsehoods.

He’s an immigrant then. Either that or asylum seekers still holding their home nationality aren’t either.

cardibach · 12/02/2026 21:07

climbintheback · 12/02/2026 20:56

Are we a country of strangers being colonised by immigrants with 9 million on benefits depends where you live there is a top ten of no go areas in London for tourists online for anyone to see a million people who can’t speak English and stats say 9 million on benefits so maybe it’s not about him getting his figures wrong it’s about free speech and the Government sorting some of it out or there will definitely be a Reform Government in a couple of years.

where are these no go areas?

cardibach · 12/02/2026 21:09

Allseeingallknowing · 12/02/2026 20:58

Perhaps he watches the news and reads newspapers! He’s obviously referring to illegal immigrants!

You think there are that many illegal immigrants? So, more illegal immigrants than other immigrants? By 10 million?

cardibach · 12/02/2026 21:10

So you are saying he was talking about illegal immigration and presenting that information? Unbelievable.

cardibach · 12/02/2026 21:11

Autumngirl5 · 12/02/2026 21:02

I agree with this too. Also he is entitled to his opinion even if people disagree with him.

His opinion, yes. His own made up facts, no.
To be clear, he can say he thinks there is too much immigration. Totally fine. What he can’t do is site figures as fact which are total lies.

PandoraSocks · 12/02/2026 21:11

there is a top ten of no go areas in London for tourists online for anyone to see

@climbintheback could you name these areas, please?

cardibach · 12/02/2026 21:12

Dollymylove · 12/02/2026 21:02

Ask the people of Crowborough what they think. Wanting to protect their daughters is racist yeah?

Dont be daft. There have only been asylum seekers in Crowborough for a couple of weeks. Girls are more at risk from the indigenous population.

cardibach · 12/02/2026 21:13

balletflatblister · 12/02/2026 21:02

What is anyone's aim in having him apologize exactly? This is simply what he thinks. If you don't agree - and I don't for what it's worth even if I think there are some real issues with immigration policy - then just say otherwise.

I don’t care what he thinks. I want him to apologise for his lies and correct the record. And I want it reported in the same places the lies were reported and with the same prominence.

PandoraSocks · 12/02/2026 21:13

Dollymylove · 12/02/2026 21:02

Ask the people of Crowborough what they think. Wanting to protect their daughters is racist yeah?

Protect their daughters from what? What has happened in Crowborough?

BlueJuniper94 · 12/02/2026 21:14

cardibach · 12/02/2026 21:01

If it wasn’t a deliberate lie he’s too stupid to check before speaking. Which would you prefer? And of course he’s trying to manipulate people with it.

Yes, he's too stupid. I am not arguing with you on that front.

balletflatblister · 12/02/2026 21:15

cardibach · 12/02/2026 21:13

I don’t care what he thinks. I want him to apologise for his lies and correct the record. And I want it reported in the same places the lies were reported and with the same prominence.

What do you feel is a lie? It sounds like a sincerely held viewpoint even if it's one I don't share

Pollqueen · 12/02/2026 21:15

Allseeingallknowing · 12/02/2026 19:19

Completely agree

Me too

cardibach · 12/02/2026 21:17

balletflatblister · 12/02/2026 21:15

What do you feel is a lie? It sounds like a sincerely held viewpoint even if it's one I don't share

The figures he gave. They were out by 10 million.

cardibach · 12/02/2026 21:17

Pollqueen · 12/02/2026 21:15

Me too

So you’re totally fine with lying if it supports your opinion then? Ok.

dannyufcfan · 12/02/2026 21:18

You're entitled to your opinion, you're not entitled to your own facts.

Very reform/trump. Just lie and wait for the news cycle to move on. What a knob.

Eddiestrangerthings · 12/02/2026 21:19

PyongyangKipperbang · 12/02/2026 19:17

But I find it insulting. Better to say "I stand by my words" than to issue this flim flam. Its obvious he doesnt mean it so why say it just because the PM told him to. I would have more respect for him standing by his beliefs (even if I disagree with them) than I do for him pretending to play nice.

As has been pointed out, he doesnt even live here anyway! He is an immigrant himself, to avoid paying tax!

because im guessing theres more to the politics of this etc