Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick has defended remarks he made earlier this year about the Handsworth area of Birmingham, saying he “won’t shy away” from discussing issues of integration.
In a recording published by The Guardian, Jenrick was heard describing Handsworth as “one of the worst-integrated places” he had visited, adding that during his time filming a video about litter in the area, he had “not seen another white face” in an hour and a half.
Speaking on Tuesday, Jenrick said he had “no regrets” about the language he used and stood by his comments.
“No, not at all, and I won’t shy away from these issues,” he told BBC Radio 5 Live. “It’s incredibly important we have a fully integrated society. It’s a very dangerous place if we have a country where people are living in ghettoised communities, where people are not living together side-by-side in harmonious communities.”
He added:
“We’ve seen the damage that can do in our society. We’ve had major failures of integration in this country for my whole lifetime. We’ve got to fix it, and that’s the comment I was making in Birmingham the other day.”
Jenrick’s team has not disputed the authenticity of the recording, reportedly made at the Aldridge-Brownhills Conservative Association in March. In the same recording, he said:
“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.”
Support from Senior Conservatives
Senior Conservatives have come to Jenrick’s defence, praising his willingness to speak openly about social cohesion.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch told BBC Breakfast she believed Jenrick may have been “making an observation” about his visit.
“I completely disagree” with claims that the remarks were racist, she said. “I think we should look at these things in the spirit of what was intended, which I believe knowing Rob and hearing him speak, is that he wants, as I do, a country that is well-integrated.”
Lord Hannan also backed Jenrick, writing:
“No one falls for selective reporting any more. We can read Robert Jenrick’s comments for ourselves, and see what he said, namely that ethnic enclaves are a sign of failure. There was a time when mischievous Guardian headlines could do real damage, but that power has vanished.”
Shadow housing secretary James Cleverly told BBC Radio 5 Live that Jenrick’s concerns touched on a real issue.
“Multiculturalism has turned into segregated communities… segregated communities living close to each other but not mixing with each other is not healthy,” he said.
Criticism from Labour Figures
However, Labour politicians have strongly criticised Jenrick’s language. West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker said he was “appalled” and “disgusted,” calling the remarks “racist.”
Labour Party chair Anna Turley said the comments “reduced people to the colour of their skin.”
Handsworth’s Independent MP Ayoub Khan called the remarks “not only wildly false but also incredibly irresponsible,” while Bishop of Birmingham Dr Michael Volland said they were “entirely wrong” and risked “stirring up division.”
Former Conservative West Midlands Mayor Andy Street also said he believed Jenrick’s description of Handsworth as “the closest I’ve come to a slum in this country” was incorrect, and added that the community “embodies hope, optimism and education based around British values.”
Mixed Views in Handsworth
Local reaction in Handsworth has been mixed. Rani Rawji, who works for a business improvement district, told the BBC:
“Everybody’s happy. We don’t seem to have an issue.”
But another resident, Mariaj Khan, said he was “not offended” by Jenrick’s comments, adding:
“I never saw a white face around here.”
James Taylor originally from Hansworth but who now lives in Rednal told this newspaper: “I went to Glastonbury earlier this year and seem to remember it was fine for The Guardian to publish an article on how Glastonbury is ‘so white’. But they have an issue with Robert Jenrick saying this and that he wants more integration in parts of Birmingham, where I’m originally from. I have to agree with Robert Jenrick. It’s double standards from The Guardian.”
Political Context
The debate comes as Jenrick delivered a speech to the Conservative Party Conference, criticising “activist judges” and urging reform of the justice system.
He remains a prominent voice in the Conservative Party and is widely tipped by bookmakers as the frontrunner to succeed Kemi Badenoch as the next party leader.
Despite controversy, Jenrick has reiterated his commitment to fostering unity through open discussion.
“It’s not about division,” he said. “It’s about making sure everyone in this country, whatever their background, is part of one shared national community.”
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