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The Prime Minister has condemned the shadow justice secretary's remarks about not seeing another white face in areas of Handsworth, stating the MP was difficult to regard credibly.

Leadership Campaign Accusations

The prime minister suggested that his comments were part of a stealth Conservative bid for leadership and asserted he did not believe they painted a true picture 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 fire of toxic nationalism after he doubled down on his remarks despite backlash from figures including the former Conservative mayor of the West Midlands, Andy Street.

Local Response and Support

Starmer, who avoided directly addressing the statements, said he had supported Andy Street's objections of the MP.

• Street had stated to the media the comments were wrong and described the area as a very integrated place.
• In my view, Andy Street's comments were accurate, the prime minister 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 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.

Internal Disagreements

Mel Stride became the initial high-ranking Conservative to disassociate from his colleague over the statements, telling a gathering that they were not words that I would have used.

The MP repeatedly told interviewers at the event that he stood by 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 encourage extremist organizations, Jenrick said it was an completely unacceptable and absurd question.

Initial Remarks

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 recording in the area 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.