𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Robert Jenrick vowed to continue speaking out against segregation in British towns and cities, despite Labour calling him “racist” for saying he “didn’t see another white face” in part of Birmingham. Mr Jenrick, the Shadow Justice Secretary, was backed by Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch after he was recorded describing the Handsworth suburb of Birmingham as “one of the worst integrated places I’ve ever been to” .

Describing a visit to the area, the Tory MP told the Aldridge-Brownhills Conservative Association: “In the hour and a half I was filming news there I didn’t see another white face. 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.”

The comments sparked a furious backlash, with the Labour leader of Birmingham City Council, John Cotton, saying: “This is racism pure and simple and he isn’t welcome here.”

But Mr Jenrick refused to back down and said last night: “Six separate government reports over 20 years have highlighted the problem of parrallel communities and called for a frank and honest conversation about the issue.

“The situation is no better today. Unlike other politicians, I won’t shy away from this issue. We have to integrate communities if we are to be a united country.”

He was also supported by Ms Badenoch, who said: “What he and I both agree with is that there are not enough people integrating. There are many people who are creating separate communities.”

Asked about claims that Mr Jenrick’s remarks were racist, the Tory leader said: “I completely disagree with that. I want to make that very clear.”

Census data shows 597 people in the Handsworth ward identify as white English, Welsh, Scottish, Northern Irish or British, out of a population of 11,818, around one in 20. In the neighbouring Lozells ward it is 449 people out of 12,120, or one in 27.

However Sir Andy Street, the Conservative former mayor of the West Midlands, said Mr Jenrick’s comments were “wrong”. Sir Andy said: “It’s a place I know very well, Handsworth, it’s come a hell of a long way in the 40 years since the last civil disturbances there and it’s actually a very integrated place.”

He added: “You see incredible hope, optimism and people taking part in education which is based around British values and thinking how they can make a contribution to the future of their region, their city and their area.”

Ayoub Khan, the independent MP for Perry Barr whose constituency includes Handsworth, said: “The claims made by the shadow justice secretary are not only wildly false but also incredibly irresponsible.”

Pointing out that Mr Jenrick had visited the city to film a video about the city’s long-running strike by refuse workers, Mr Khan said: “He has misrepresented a storied and diverse community, awkwardly distorting the product of an all-out bin strike to fit his culture-warrior narrative filled with far-right cliches.”