🔗 Share this article

Keir Starmer has criticized Robert Jenrick's remarks about the lack of white faces in areas of Birmingham, stating the MP was difficult to regard credibly.

Leadership Campaign Claims

The prime minister implied that Jenrick's comments were part of a covert Conservative bid for leadership and said he did not believe they painted a true picture the neighborhood of Handsworth.

It’s quite hard to take anything that Robert Jenrick says seriously; he’s clearly still running his leadership campaign.

Jenrick has been accused of fuelling a fire of toxic nationalism after he doubled down on his remarks despite criticism from figures including the former Conservative mayor of the West Midlands, Andy Street.

Local Rejection and Defense

Starmer, who avoided directly addressing the comments, said he had agreed with Street's objections of the MP.

• Street had stated to BBC Newsnight the comments were wrong and described the area as a very integrated place.
• In my view, Andy Street's comments were accurate, the prime minister said. Andy Street obviously was mayor for a long time and knows the area very very well.

Kemi Badenoch, defended Jenrick, saying he had made a truthful observation and that there was no issue with noting realities.

However, she added on BBC Breakfast: In my opinion, the discussion should not focus on the number or appearance of individuals seen on streets.

Internal Disagreements

Mel Stride became the first senior Tory to disassociate from Jenrick over the statements, informing a Politico fringe event that they were phrases I would have avoided.

The MP repeatedly informed journalists at the conference that he stood by the remarks and did not resile from them as it would be wrong to shut down an important debate that we have to have as a country about social cohesion.

When a Sky News journalist suggested that his comments could embolden extremist organizations, Jenrick said it was an completely unacceptable and absurd question.

Initial Statements

In his initial comments, the MP said Handsworth was one of the worst integrated places I’ve ever been to. In fact, in the 90 minutes he was filming news there he observed no other white individuals.

That’s not the kind of country I want to live in. I want to live in a country where people are properly integrated. It’s not about the colour of your skin or your faith – of course it isn’t. But I want people to be living alongside each other, not parallel lives. That’s not the right way we want to live as a country.