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| Jenrick defends calling Handsworth 'worst-integrated' | Jenrick defends calling Handsworth 'worst-integrated' |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick has defended remarks he made in March about the Handsworth area of Birmingham, in which he called it "one of the worst-integrated places" he had ever been to. | Shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick has defended remarks he made in March about the Handsworth area of Birmingham, in which he called it "one of the worst-integrated places" he had ever been to. |
| In a recording reportedly made during a dinner and published by the Guardian, Jenrick said he had not seen "another white face" in the hour-and-a-half he spent in Handsworth filming a video about litter. | In a recording reportedly made during a dinner and published by the Guardian, Jenrick said he had not seen "another white face" in the hour-and-a-half he spent in Handsworth filming a video about litter. |
| Jenrick said on Tuesday he had no regrets about the language he used and would not "shy away" from issues of integration. | Jenrick said on Tuesday he had no regrets about the language he used and would not "shy away" from issues of integration. |
| The Labour West Midlands mayor Richard Parker said he believed Jenrick's comments were racist, while Labour Party chair Anna Turley said they reduced people "to the colour of their skin". | |
| Handsworth's Independent MP Ayoub Khan said the remarks were "not only wildly false but also incredibly irresponsible". | Handsworth's Independent MP Ayoub Khan said the remarks were "not only wildly false but also incredibly irresponsible". |
| Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said she did not know the context of the recording but that Jenrick may have been "making an observation" about his visit to the area. | Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said she did not know the context of the recording but that Jenrick may have been "making an observation" about his visit to the area. |
| "I heard that one of the MPs of that area was accusing him of racism. I completely disagree with that, I want to make that very clear," she told BBC Breakfast. | "I heard that one of the MPs of that area was accusing him of racism. I completely disagree with that, I want to make that very clear," she told BBC Breakfast. |
| "I wasn't there so I can't say how many faces he saw, but the point is that there are many people in our country who are not integrating," she said. | "I wasn't there so I can't say how many faces he saw, but the point is that there are many people in our country who are not integrating," she said. |
| The authenticity of the recording at the Aldridge-Brownhills Conservative Association is not disputed by Jenrick's team. | The authenticity of the recording at the Aldridge-Brownhills Conservative Association is not disputed by Jenrick's team. |
| In the recording, he goes on to say: "That's not the kind of country I want to live in. I want to live in a country where people are properly integrated. | In the recording, he goes on to say: "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." | "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." |
| Asked on BBC Radio 5 Live on Tuesday whether he regretted the comments made in the recording, Jenrick said: "No, not at all, and I won't shy away from these issues." | Asked on BBC Radio 5 Live on Tuesday whether he regretted the comments made in the recording, Jenrick said: "No, not at all, and I won't shy away from these issues." |
| He said he brought up skin colour "because it's incredibly important we have a fully integrated society". | He said he brought up skin colour "because 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. | "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. |
| "We've seen the damage that can do in our society," he said. | "We've seen the damage that can do in our society," he said. |
| "We've had major failures of integration in this country for my whole lifetime. | "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." | "We've got to fix it, and that's the comment I was making in Birmingham the other day." |
| Parker said he was "appalled" and "disgusted" by Jenrick's comments made in the recording. | |
| Asked if he believed the remarks were racist, he told BBC Radio WM: "I do. Because he's set out intentionally to draw on a particular issue - people's colour - to identify the point he wanted to make." | Asked if he believed the remarks were racist, he told BBC Radio WM: "I do. Because he's set out intentionally to draw on a particular issue - people's colour - to identify the point he wanted to make." |
| He added: "It shows a lack of respect and understanding for those communities. | He added: "It shows a lack of respect and understanding for those communities. |
| "And I doubt whether or not if he went to a largely white community anywhere in the West Midlands he'd be making a comment similar to what he made about Handsworth." | "And I doubt whether or not if he went to a largely white community anywhere in the West Midlands he'd be making a comment similar to what he made about Handsworth." |
| Labour's Turley said: "This weekend Kemi Badenoch said she stood against a politics that 'reduces people to categories and then pits them against each other'. | Labour's Turley said: "This weekend Kemi Badenoch said she stood against a politics that 'reduces people to categories and then pits them against each other'. |
| "Robert Jenrick in his leaked comments reduces people to the colour of their skin and judges his own level of comfort by whether there are other white faces around. | "Robert Jenrick in his leaked comments reduces people to the colour of their skin and judges his own level of comfort by whether there are other white faces around. |
| "People of colour should not have to justify their Englishness, or their Britishness, or their presence in this country, to Robert Jenrick or anyone else." | "People of colour should not have to justify their Englishness, or their Britishness, or their presence in this country, to Robert Jenrick or anyone else." |
| Asked if the number of white people seen in an area is the right measure for integration on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Badenoch said: "The right measure for integration is that people don't care what people look like." | Asked if the number of white people seen in an area is the right measure for integration on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Badenoch said: "The right measure for integration is that people don't care what people look like." |
| She added: "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". | She added: "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". |
| Shadow housing secretary James Cleverly told 5 Live that "multiculturalism has turned into segregated communities". | |
| "I don't know if that's the point [Jenrick] was trying to put across, but we know that segregated communities living close to each other but not mixing with each other is not healthy," he said. | |
| In a letter to Jenrick, the Bishop of Birmingham, Dr Michael Volland rejected the comments as "entirely wrong" with the potential to "stir up division" and "feed into a harmful narrative that provides fuel for a fire of toxic nationalism". | In a letter to Jenrick, the Bishop of Birmingham, Dr Michael Volland rejected the comments as "entirely wrong" with the potential to "stir up division" and "feed into a harmful narrative that provides fuel for a fire of toxic nationalism". |
| Handsworth MP Ayoub Khan told the Guardian that Jenrick had "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". | Handsworth MP Ayoub Khan told the Guardian that Jenrick had "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". |
| Former Conservative mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street told BBC Newsnight Jenrick was "wrong", saying the area was "a very integrated place". | Former Conservative mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street told BBC Newsnight Jenrick was "wrong", saying the area was "a very integrated place". |
| Street also rejected Jenrick's recorded comment that Handsworth was "the closest I've come to a slum in this country". | Street also rejected Jenrick's recorded comment that Handsworth was "the closest I've come to a slum in this country". |
| Street noted the "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". | Street noted the "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". |
| On Tuesday morning, the BBC spoke to a number of Handsworth residents who expressed different perspectives about Jenrick's comments. | On Tuesday morning, the BBC spoke to a number of Handsworth residents who expressed different perspectives about Jenrick's comments. |
| Rani Rawji, who works for a business improvement district in the area, said it had Christians, Muslims, Sikhs and Hindus working, living and shopping happily together. | Rani Rawji, who works for a business improvement district in the area, said it had Christians, Muslims, Sikhs and Hindus working, living and shopping happily together. |
| She said: "Everybody's happy. We don't seem to have an issue." | She said: "Everybody's happy. We don't seem to have an issue." |
| However, Mariaj Khan agreed with the description of the area as a slum and said he was not offended by the MP's comments because he felt they were true. | However, Mariaj Khan agreed with the description of the area as a slum and said he was not offended by the MP's comments because he felt they were true. |
| Mr Khan said he only saw Asian and black people, adding: "I never saw a white face around here." | Mr Khan said he only saw Asian and black people, adding: "I never saw a white face around here." |
| He said that there were white people in the area but they tended not to be British. | He said that there were white people in the area but they tended not to be British. |
| The reaction to Jenrick's comments comes on the day he gave a speech to the Conservative Party conference, in which he hit out at "activist" judges. | The reaction to Jenrick's comments comes on the day he gave a speech to the Conservative Party conference, in which he hit out at "activist" judges. |
| The MP claimed judges with links to pro-migrant charities had undermined public trust in the courts. | The MP claimed judges with links to pro-migrant charities had undermined public trust in the courts. |
| Additional reporting by Tanya Gupta | Additional reporting by Tanya Gupta |