Social mobility tsar defends controversial comments

The government’s preferred candidate for chair of the Social Mobility Commission was interviewed today by the Women and Equalities parliamentary committee.

Katharine Birbalsingh has made controversial comments in the past on white privilege and has spoken out against “woke culture”.

Criticising current teaching methods, she said children “need to know that you’re on their side, but they need to know that you’re going to hold those standards high and that you are going to grab the lesson and chop ahead.”

Anne McLaughlin, SNP MP for Glasgow North East, highlighted some of Birbalsingh’s controversial comments in the past, which prompted the tsar to defend herself saying: “I come to my views through discussion, through talking to people, through hearing what they say.”