A fierce dispute erupted on GB News when Robert Bates and Jonathan Portes clashed over Department for Work and Pensions statistics regarding foreign nationals receiving Universal Credit.

The confrontation became so intense that presenter Martin Daubney was compelled to intervene, urging the guests to avoid turning the discussion into "a shouting contest".

The disagreement centred on contrasting analyses of benefit claims by non-UK citizens. Bates highlighted that 1.3 million foreign nationals currently receive Universal Credit, whilst Portes maintained that immigrants demonstrate higher employment rates than British-born residents.

Their opposing viewpoints on immigration's economic impact led to an increasingly acrimonious exchange, with each challenging the other's interpretation of official statistics.

Martin Daubney was forced to step in

Bates expressed gratitude that the DWP had released the figures, stating: "I'm very grateful the DWP finally decided to publish this data because it shows the true cost the British taxpayer has been forced to stump up for the Universal Credit claims of people not citizens of this country."

He characterised these payments as "money down the drain" with "no benefit to the British taxpayer". According to Bates, Britain's immigration approach has focused on bringing in "low wage, low skilled individuals who actually offer very little to the British economy".

The data reveals that amongst the 1.3 million foreign nationals receiving Universal Credit, approximately 524,598 were employed whilst claiming in-work benefits, with 759,375 being unemployed claimants.

Portes presented a starkly different interpretation, asserting: "What today's figures show is that people born abroad are more likely to be in work than Britons." He emphasised this applied to individuals from both EU and non-EU countries.

Robert Bates said Portes was comparing apples and pears

According to Portes, overseas-born workers typically earn "slightly higher salaries than those born in this country" and demonstrate a lower propensity to claim benefits. He argued that "migrants contribute slightly more" to the economy overall.

During the exchange, Portes posed what he termed a "simple" question about whether working-age individuals born outside the EU showed higher employment rates than UK-born residents.

His insistence on receiving a direct response contributed to the escalating tension that eventually required the host's intervention.

The confrontation intensified when Bates remarked that "it takes some humility for Robert to come back on this show after he was humiliated last time". He disputed Portes' statistics, claiming his opponent was "comparing apples and pears" and presenting "bogus" analysis.

In July 2022, there were 927,837 migrants claiming Universal Credit across different immigration routes | ONS/GBNEW

Bates argued that foreign nationals represent approximately 16 per cent of Britain's working-age population but account for one in five unemployed individuals, suggesting an overrepresentation in joblessness statistics.

The dispute occurs against a backdrop of unprecedented welfare claims. Official figures released on Tuesday morning show Universal Credit recipients have reached eight million for the first time since the benefit's 2013 launch.

This represents an increase of over one million claimants within twelve months, rising from 6.9 million in July 2024.