Sajid Javid was on Question Time yesterday and gave easily one of the most confident and assured defences of the government’s immigration policy to date. In response to a question about British identity and the increasing popularity of the name ‘Mohammad’, Javid rebutted the notion that a name has anything to do with patriotism:
‘I think it’s pretty silly to suggest that someone’s name has some kind of bearing on their love for our country. I’m called Sajid. I’m fiercely patriotic about our country, I think it’s the greatest country on earth. And so name has nothing to do it.’
As the Conservatives’ first (and only) male cabinet minister from a Muslim background, his remarks carry more weight than some of his other colleagues trying to extoll the benefits of immigration while explaining the need for reform:
‘Immigration does have an impact on our country.
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