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Keir Starmer has criticized Robert Jenrick's remarks about not seeing another white face in areas of Handsworth, stating the MP was difficult to regard credibly.

Leadership Campaign Claims

The prime minister suggested that his observations were linked to a covert Tory bid for leadership and said he did not believe they accurately reflected the area of Handsworth.

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

Jenrick has been criticized for igniting a fire of toxic nationalism after he doubled down on his remarks despite criticism from individuals including the former Conservative mayor of the West Midlands, Andy Street.

Local Response and Defense

Starmer, who avoided directly addressing the comments, said he had agreed with Street's criticisms of Jenrick.

• Street had stated to BBC Newsnight the remarks were incorrect and described Handsworth as a very integrated place.
• In my view, Andy Street's comments were accurate, Starmer said. Having served as mayor for an extended period, Andy Street possesses deep familiarity with the locality.

Kemi Badenoch, defended him, saying he had made a truthful observation and that there was nothing wrong with making observations.

However, she added on the program: In my opinion, the discussion should not focus on the number or appearance of individuals seen on streets.

Party Divisions

The shadow chancellor became the initial high-ranking Conservative to disassociate from Jenrick over the comments, telling a Politico fringe event that they were phrases I would have avoided.

Jenrick repeatedly told journalists at the event that he stood by the comments and did not retract them as it would be wrong to shut down an important debate that the nation needs to engage in about social cohesion.

When a reporter put it to him that his remarks could embolden far-right groups, he said it was an completely unacceptable and absurd question.

Original Statements

In his original remarks, Jenrick said the area was among the least cohesive locations I have visited. In fact, in the hour and a half 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.