Birmingham MP Shabana Mahmood has revealed she faces regular racist abuse, including being told to 'go back home' and subjected to vile racial slurs.
Commons Debate Reveals Personal Abuse
The Home Secretary and Ladywood MP made the emotional disclosure during a fiery House of Commons debate on November 17, 2025. Responding to criticism from Liberal Democrat MP Max Wilkinson about Labour's new asylum proposals, Ms Mahmood highlighted her personal experiences with racism.
'Unlike him, unfortunately, I am the one that's regularly gets called a "f****** p***" and told to go back home,' she told the chamber.
Labour's Controversial Asylum Overhaul
Ms Mahmood was presenting Labour's sweeping changes to the UK's asylum system, which include several significant measures. The proposed reforms would see more families with failed asylum claims removed from the UK and make refugee status temporary.
Under the new system, refugee status would be reviewed every two-and-a-half years, meaning people could be returned to their home country if it's deemed safe. The government would also revoke the legal duty to provide asylum seekers with support.
Additional measures include potential visa bans for three African countries if their governments don't improve cooperation on removals.
Political Reactions and Divided Opinions
Opposition leader Kemi Badenoch offered measured praise for the Home Secretary's 'clearer focus' but argued the measures alone wouldn't work. While describing the changes as 'not enough', she admitted they represented a 'start'.
Green Party MP Carla Denyer delivered stronger criticism, accusing Ms Mahmood of 'attempting to out-reform Reform' with the controversial proposals.
Ms Mahmood defended the need for reform, stating: 'It is I who knows through my personal experience, and that of my constituents, just how divisive the issue of asylum has become in our country.'
She added that while she wished she could claim there wasn't a problem, the system is broken and requires fixing by all members to stop creating division.
