🔗 Share this article

The Prime Minister has condemned Robert Jenrick's remarks about not seeing another white face in areas of Handsworth, suggesting the MP was hard to take seriously.

Leadership Campaign Accusations

Starmer suggested that Jenrick's comments were part of a stealth Tory leadership campaign and said he did not believe they accurately reflected the neighborhood of Handsworth.

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

The shadow justice secretary has been criticized for igniting a fire of toxic nationalism after he doubled down on his complaint despite backlash from individuals including the former Conservative mayor of the West Midlands, Andy Street.

Local Response and Support

The prime minister, who avoided directly addressing the comments, said he had agreed with Andy Street's objections of the MP.

• Street had told the media the comments were incorrect and portrayed the area as a highly cohesive community.
• I think that what Andy Street said was right, Starmer said. Having served as mayor for an extended period, Andy Street possesses deep familiarity with the locality.

The Conservative leader, supported him, 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.

Party Disagreements

Mel Stride became the initial high-ranking Conservative to distance himself from his colleague over the statements, informing a Politico fringe event that they were not words that I would have used.

Jenrick repeatedly told journalists at the event that he stood by the remarks and did not retract them as it would be wrong to end a crucial discussion that the nation needs to engage in about integration.

When a reporter suggested that his comments could embolden far-right groups, he said it was an completely unacceptable and absurd question.

Initial Statements

In his original remarks, the MP said Handsworth was among the least cohesive locations I have visited. Specifically, in the 90 minutes he was recording in the area he didn’t see another white face.

This is not the nation I desire to reside in. I prefer a country with proper integration. Skin color or religion is not the issue—naturally not. However, I advocate for people coexisting together, not leading separate existences. That is not the ideal lifestyle for our country.