Dan Wootton has clashed with a guest over unconscious bias in a debate on diversity training.
It came after Suella Braverman declared a "war on woke witch trials", announcing that she had scrapped training schemes in her department in the wake of high-profile court cases centred on transgender and equality issues.
She was said to have been “absolutely furious” to find out that more than 1,000 of her employees, including 600 lawyers, had participated in some 1,900 hours of diversity courses.
Speaking following Ms Braverman’s comments on GB News' Dan Wootton Tonight, Sunday Mirror Political Editor Nigel Nelson said: “The whole point of having these kind of training sessions is to deal with the kind of conscious or unconscious bias that all of us can be guilty of, it’s not necessarily about race."
Dan Wootton and Nigel Nelson
GB News
Suella Braverman
Aaron Chown
Dan quickly hit back saying: “I’m not guilty of unconscious bias.”
To which Mr Nelson questioned: “How do you know?”
Dan again replied, saying: “I’m not.”
Ms Nelson continued to probe: “How do you know?”
Dan responded: “Because I know I’m not racist, I know I’m not transphobic, I know I’m not homophobic, I know I’m not sexist.”
Mr Nelson continued: “But how can you be certain of that?”
Dan replied: “Because I’m certain of that.”
Before Mr Nelson went on to say: “Allowing that, I’m not certain by the way.”
Dan then probed Mr Nelson by asking : “So you think you have some unconscious bias that you actually might be sexist, racist or homophobic.”
The political editor responded: “Oh yes, I don’t know what my unconscious bias might be because I’m unconscious of it.
“I know who I am and I hope I watch out for it, but the point basically is for the training is to make sure that you don’t go to interview somebody for a job for a promotion, for a place of university and then go and chose somebody who is exactly like them.”
Ms Braverman also told MailPlus: “Like the witch-finders of the Middle Ages, they don the outfit of the inquisitor and never tire of rooting out unbelievers.
“This does nothing to create solidarity and support but rather keeps emphasising difference, creating a sense of ‘other’ and pitting different groups against each other.”
