Keir Starmer has criticized the shadow justice secretary's statements about the lack of white faces in parts of Birmingham, stating the MP was difficult to regard credibly.
Leadership Campaign Accusations
Starmer implied that Jenrick's observations were part of a stealth Tory bid for leadership and said he did not believe they accurately reflected the neighborhood of Handsworth.
I find it difficult to regard Robert Jenrick's statements as credible; he's obviously continuing his leadership campaign.
Jenrick has been criticized for igniting a wave of divisive sentiment after he reiterated his complaint despite backlash from figures including the ex-Tory mayor of the region, Andy Street.
Local Response and Defense
Starmer, who avoided directly addressing the statements, said he had supported Andy Street's criticisms of Jenrick.
- Street had stated to BBC Newsnight the remarks were wrong and portrayed the area as a highly cohesive community.
- I think that what Andy Street said was right, the prime minister said. Having served as mayor for an extended period, Andy Street possesses deep familiarity with the locality.
The Conservative leader, defended him, saying he had made a factual statement and that there was nothing wrong with making observations.
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
The shadow chancellor became the first senior Tory to disassociate from his colleague over the statements, informing a gathering that they were phrases I would have avoided.
Jenrick repeatedly informed interviewers at the conference that he supported the comments and did not resile from them as it would be wrong to shut down an important debate that the nation needs to engage in about social cohesion.
When a Sky News journalist put it to him that his comments could embolden far-right groups, Jenrick said it was an completely unacceptable and absurd question.
Original Remarks
In his original remarks, Jenrick said Handsworth was among the least cohesive locations I have visited. In fact, in the 90 minutes he was filming news there he 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. That’s not the right way we want to live as a country.
