Reactions to Chris Philp’s Question Time howler have flooded in on social media after the policing minister had to clarify whether Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo are different countries.
Audience members were given the opportunity to quiz Tory representatives on their controversial plan to send asylum seekers to East Africa during a heated debate in Tottenham on Thursday (25/4).
One man raised concerns about the potential deportation of relatives from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to the neighbouring African nation.
With nearly seven million individuals displaced by violence in eastern DRC, he expressed worries about family members fleeing the conflict being relocated to its neighbouring country.
Philp responded, “No, I think there’s an exclusion on people from Rwanda being sent from Rwanda.”
However, the audience member retorted, “They’re not from Rwanda, they’re from Congo.”
Philp, appearing puzzled, then asked, “Well … Rwanda is a different country to Congo, isn’t it?”
Host Fiona Bruce and others quickly confirmed, “Yes, it is,” while laughter rippled through the audience, and Labour frontbencher Wes Streeting’s reaction spoke volumes.
Reaction to the clip has been quick to pour in on social media.
Here’s a taste of what people had to say:
Related: Question Time audience bursts into laughter after Tory MP claims Rwanda policy is ‘pretty popular’
