Adil Ray has detailed to a cabinet minister the racist abuse he has received thanks to inflammatory comments by Suella Braverman, he argued.
The confrontation follows reports the home secretary told police officers who seized several golliwog toys – which are widely considered to be racist – from an Essex pub they had wasted their time.
In a heated exchange with transport secretary Mark Harper, the GMB host revealed he had received online abuse following the reports and said the home secretary appeared to have “inflamed” those sending it to him.
Harper said ministers should not “second guess” police decisions and refused to criticise Braverman, but he said he did not think people should display the dolls.
Ray asked Harper: “Do you think it’s right that she’s inflamed racists and I’m getting this abuse? I wasn’t getting it before two weeks ago, Mr Harper. I wasn’t getting all these pictures of golliwogs. Why am I getting them now?”
The minister replied: “You didn’t let me finish. I was going to answer … clearly, if you’re receiving abuse on social media, that’s clearly wrong. But the people responsible for any abuse you’re receiving on social media are the people sending it to you.”
Ray fired back: “It really upsets me. Why can’t you just say it was a wrong thing?”
“Adil, to be fair I’m trying to answer your questions and every time I try and answer your questions you interrupt me. So look, I’m trying to answer your questions sensibly,” Harper said.
“The police make operational decisions based on enforcing the law. That is for them to do. I don’t think it’s helpful for ministers to second guess it.”
He added: “I don’t think people should display them. I wouldn’t display them, I don’t think that’s very helpful at all.”
But Harper said he does not think the home secretary is “responsible” for the behaviour of those directing online abuse at Ray.
It comes after officers took several golliwogs from the White Hart Inn in Grays, Essex, on April 4, as part of an investigation into an allegation of hate crime reported on February 24.
A source close to Braverman said her unhappiness at the incident had been passed on to the force, as first reported by Mail Online.
The outlet quoted a home office source as saying police forces “should not be getting involved in this kind of nonsense” and instead focus on “catching criminals”.
Essex Police subsequently denied it had been reprimanded by the home secretary.
Pub owner Benice Ryley has displayed the collection of around 30 dolls, donated by her late aunt and customers, in the pub for nearly 10 years.
The Home Secretary, who once railed against the “tofu-eating wokerati”, is regarded as a divisive figure for her remarks on migration and “culture war” issues.