Labour’s Jacqui Smith ‘told fellow Question Time panellist ‘oh do shut up” after he accused her of ‘lying to the British people’ over small boat migrants crisis_Nhy
A Labour minister reportedly told a fellow Question Time panellist to ‘shut up’ when he accused her of lying to the British people about the small boats crisis.
Former Home Secretary Jacqui Smith and GB News‘ Matt Goodwin clashed as they went head-to-head in a fiery debate on immigration last night.
Now, the TV presenter has said in a post on X that he asked Ms Smith again ‘why are you lying to the British people?’ as the programme’s credits were rolling.
He claims that she then replied ‘oh do shut up’ and that the whole exchange ‘will be on tape’.
During the pair’s heated debate on immigration, Mr Goodwin claimed: ‘The Labour party are basically lying to you when it comes to illegal migration.
‘First of all, let’s just get some facts on the table. More people have arrived in this country on small boats than the Labour party have removed and most of the people they have ‘removed’ went voluntarily.
‘What Labour are doing is they are approving the vast majority of claims for asylum seekers who arrived here, often illegally, and then they are telling you they are moving people out of the country when they are not.’
Ms Smith can be heard interjecting with the question ‘what was a lie?’ as Mr Goodwin makes these comments.
Former Home Secretary Jacqui Smith and GB News ‘ Matt Goodwin (pictured) clashed as they went head-to-head in a fiery debate on immigration last night
Ms Smith (pictured) was forced to quit as Home Secretary in 2009 after it was revealed her husband used public money to purchase pornographic videos
Picture shows the fiery debate on Question time last night about illegal immigration
Mr Goodwin has since described the interaction between him and Ms Smith on the BBC’s Question Time as ‘revealing’ in his post on X.
He wrote: ‘Something revealing happened on Question Time last night … We had a debate about the small boats.’
‘As I say in the clip below, Labour Ministers like Jacqui Smith who claim Labour is fixing the crisis are lying to you’, he continues.
‘So despite people trying to shut me down I said what I said below because the British people deserve to be told the truth The ONLY way we can fix this mess is by leaving the European Convention Human Rights, reforming the Human Rights Act and having a deterrent.
‘Then, when the credits were rolling, I turned to Smith, a Labour Minister, and asked: “why are you lying to the British people?” She replies: “oh do shut up”. A Labour government minister. It will all be on tape.’
MailOnline has contacted Ms Smith’s office for comment.
Jacqui Smith pictured after losing her seat in the 2010 general election. She was forced to quit as Home Secretary after her husband used public money to by pornogrpahic videos
Two dinghies carrying 190 migrants were spotted by Border Force vessels on January 25, 2025
The Labour politician, who now serves as an education minister, was forced to quit as Home Secretary in 2009 after it was revealed her husband used public money to purchase pornographic videos.
She then lost her seat in the Redditch constituency in the 2010 general election to Conservative candidate Karen Lumley.
Ms Smith previously said she thought she had been ‘hard done by’ after being caught up with the MP expenses scandal.
She told the Hard Talk programme on BBC West Midlands: ‘Given the reality and the facts of what I did, the focus on me was over the top.
‘It was absolutely horrible. Having your sister and your wife and your mum pilloried and described as some sort of thief and far worse wears people down.
‘It was that pressure on the family and the inability therefore for me to focus on a massively important job that caused me to resign as home secretary.
‘Richard knows he made a mistake and has apologised publicly for that.
‘But I tell you that one small mistake in no way wipes out the support he provided to me and support incidentally, while he worked for me in my constituency office, to my constituency in Redditch.
‘I did not think he deserved what he got and I did not think my sister deserved what she got.’
Migrants wearing puffer jackets arrive at the Ibis hotel Luton in November 2024
It comes as Britain is on track for the worst year to date when it comes to migrant boat crossings as the Home Office blamed better weather for higher numbers.
Fresh government data shows a record high of 1,489 illegal migrants made the journey across the perilous Channel waters from the start of January to February 6.
This is up from 1,382, who made the journey from France last year as well as 1,837 who travelled to British shores in 2023.
The Home Office has blamed the increased number of migrants crossing the channel on a high number of good weather days, The Sun reported.
Labour has since come under fire as 23,000 migrants crossed in 2024 since their loveless landslide victory in the general election last July.
Critics have also pointed out that Labour previously promised to come down hard on smuggling gangs who profit from ferrying migrants across the dangerous Channel.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philip blamed the increase on Sir Keir Starmer for ‘idiotically’ binning the Tories controversial Rwanda deportation plan.
Keir scrapped the Rwanda plan – which would have seen asylum seekers sent to the African country to have their claims processed – as soon as he took office.
An inflatable dinghy carrying around 65 migrants crosses the English Channel on March 6, 2024
A group of people thought to be migrants brought into Dover on February 6 following a small boat incident on the Channel
Mr Philip told the publication: ‘Labour is introducing their Border Surrender Bill which gives illegal immigrants a path to citizenship. This is a weak Labour government led by a weak PM.’
Last month, Starmer vowed to ‘hit people smugglers where it hurts’ with tough new financial sanctions.
The Prime Minister revealed that new laws will allow human traffickers to be treated ‘like terrorists, cyber criminals and corrupt kleptocrats’.
A new regime of sanctions will allow ministers to freeze the bank accounts, property and other assets of trafficking gangsters, including those responsible for sending tens of thousands of small-boat migrants across the Channel.
Traffickers will be publicly named for the first time so that financial institutions and other companies know it is illegal to deal with them.
Describing the measures as a ‘world first’, Sir Keir said: ‘My pledge to Mail readers is this – we’re going to hit them where it hurts. Today we are announcing a new sanctions regime, the first of its kind anywhere in the world.
‘We’re going to treat people smugglers like terrorists, cyber criminals and corrupt kleptocrats. We’ll freeze their assets, ban their travel and work with allies to put them behind bars.’
He added: ‘My message to those criminals who still think they can breach our borders is this. There is nowhere to hide. We’re coming after you.’
