Michelle Dewberry Forced To Step In As GB News Debate Explodes Into Furious Clash Over Migrant Crime Data

GB News presenter Michelle Dewberry was forced to intervene as a heated on-air argument erupted between former radio presenter Maajid Nawaz and former Labour councillor Kevin Craig over the government’s handling of migrant crime data.

The confrontation came during a discussion about the government’s refusal to initially release information relating to crimes committed by migrants, after 11 victims’ families called for greater transparency.

Nawaz accused the Labour government of deliberately preventing a report on migrant crime from being published, arguing that the public had grown tired of being dismissed whenever they raised controversial issues.

“I think the British public are sick and tired of being gaslit,” Nawaz said, claiming that subjects raised by members of the public had repeatedly been labelled conspiracy theories.

Craig immediately challenged him.

“That’s not true,” he interjected. “You just lied.”

As the pair attempted to speak over one another, Dewberry stepped in and demanded that they stop.

“Excuse me! Hang on. Tell him that in a minute. Don’t speak over each other,” she said. “People will be turning off because it hurts their ears and mine.”

Nawaz Accuses Labour Of Blocking The Data

Once the discussion resumed, Nawaz returned to his central argument.

“Before the break, the word conspiracy theory was used,” he said.

Nawaz claimed that the Labour Party had attempted to prevent the Information Commissioner from obtaining migrant crime statistics and alleged that the reason was to conceal the party’s involvement.

Craig, who had served as a Labour councillor for 17 years, rejected the suggestion and described Nawaz’s explanation as a “theory”.

“That’s what I was referring to,” Craig said.

Nawaz then broadened the argument, claiming that former Prime Minister Keir Starmer had “actively whipped” Labour MPs to oppose the grooming gangs inquiry.

The discussion subsequently moved to the controversial appointment of Lord Peter Mandelson as the UK’s ambassador to the United States, with Nawaz raising Mandelson’s links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

When Craig pointed out that Starmer had apologised over the appointment, Nawaz dismissed the significance of an apology.

“Apologies don’t make a difference when it comes to crimes this serious,” he said.

Nawaz went on to accuse Labour of failing the public over the issue of underage rape gangs, saying people were “disgusted” by the government’s behaviour.

Another Clash Breaks Out

Craig attempted to respond by suggesting that the conversation should continue “in the real world”.

That prompted another intervention from Dewberry.

“What’s in the fiction world that he’s saying?” she asked.

Craig replied that he was about to explain, but complained that Dewberry had interrupted him.

“You let him go on,” he said.

Dewberry defended her intervention, explaining that Craig had initially appeared to dismiss Nawaz’s argument as being detached from reality.

“Because you started off by making out that he’s living in la la land,” she told him.

Craig argued that Dewberry had interrupted him before he had even been able to make his point, while allowing Nawaz considerably more time to speak.

He compared Nawaz’s contribution to “War and Peace”.

Dewberry maintained that she would have intervened regardless of who had started the exchange.

She told Craig that if Nawaz had begun his argument by being rude to him, she would have interrupted him as well.

Craig Defends The Government’s Position

Craig then attempted to explain why he believed Nawaz’s claims went too far.

“He implied that in the government’s attempts to have some data not published, that there were deep conspiratorial reasons behind that,” Craig said.

He argued that the reasons originally given for withholding the information were practical rather than conspiratorial.

“The actual reasons given in the request to that information not to be released were that the information would be disproportionate to obtain,” he said.

Craig also noted that the situation had since developed and suggested that the information would ultimately be made public.

“Things have moved on. From what you showed me at half-time, it’s going to be published, so we’ll get it.”

When Dewberry asked why the Labour government was appealing the matter if the information was ultimately expected to be released, Craig reiterated his explanation.

“Because, Michelle, I just said the MOJ and Lammy said that the data will be disproportionate to obtain,” he replied.

Craig maintained that there was a distinction between criticism of the government’s immigration policies and allegations of a deliberate cover-up.

He pointed to what he described as factual evidence that Labour had been tackling immigration and reducing the use of asylum hotels.

“Those are facts,” Craig said, before arguing that the suggestion of a deeper motive to conceal information amounted to a “conspiracy theory”.

The exchange left Dewberry repeatedly stepping in as both guests fought to make their arguments heard, turning an already contentious discussion about migrant crime data into a particularly tense GB News television clash.