The political landscape in the United Kingdom was rocked this week by a fierce debate over comments made by Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick regarding integration in the Birmingham suburb of Handsworth. Jenrick’s remarks, made during a Conservative Association dinner in March 2025 and reiterated at the party’s annual conference in early October, have ignited a firestorm of criticism and drawn sharp lines between political leaders, community representatives, and local residents.
According to The Guardian and BBC, Jenrick described Handsworth as “one of the worst-integrated places” he had ever visited, stating that during his hour-and-a-half in the area, he “didn’t see another white face.” He went further in a podcast for The Telegraph, saying, “It did look like a slum.” Jenrick insisted his comments were merely observations, not judgments based on race or faith. “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,” he told the BBC.
His remarks, however, were swiftly condemned by a wide array of leaders and residents. Labour’s Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands, labeled the comments “racist,” asserting, “He’s set out intentionally to draw on a particular issue – people’s colour – to identify the point he wanted to make. It shows a lack of respect and understanding for those communities.” Parker added that he doubted Jenrick would make similar remarks about predominantly white communities in the region.
Anna Turley, Chair of the Labour Party, also weighed in, arguing that Jenrick’s remarks reduced people “to the colour of their skin.” She added, “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.” Handsworth’s Independent MP, Ayoub Khan, called the remarks “not only wildly false but also incredibly irresponsible.”
Political and religious figures in Birmingham echoed these criticisms. Councillor John Cotton, leader of Birmingham City Council, described the comments as “racist” and “outrageous,” suggesting they were more about Jenrick’s ambitions within his own party than about serving the people of Birmingham. The Bishop of Birmingham, Right Reverend Michael Volland, wrote a public letter to Jenrick, warning, “Comments like those you have made have the potential to generate anxiety and stir up division. They can feed into a harmful narrative that provides fuel for a fire of toxic nationalism. It is deeply unhelpful for politicians to make such comments and I encourage you to think about how your rhetoric might contribute towards unity rather than stoking division.”
The Bishop’s letter was co-signed by community leaders, including the headteacher of St Michael’s Church of England Primary Academy, the head priest at the Shree Geeta Bhawan Hindu temple, and the managing director of the Sikh Nishkam Civic Association. The Bishop also invited Jenrick to return to Handsworth to meet residents and better understand the community’s diversity and commitment to its wellbeing.
Local residents, too, voiced their dismay. Rishi Lothiyi, a business consultant born and raised in Handsworth, told Birmingham Live that Jenrick “must’ve been ‘drunk’ to suggest the area had an integration problem,” noting he’d never experienced racism in the district except when venturing into the city centre. Ranjit Singh, landlord of the Cross Guns pub, said, “I see white people in here all the time. We have lots of Irish and English customers. Everybody gets along around here.” Another resident, John Silwood, remarked, “Diversity is what makes Handsworth.”
Handsworth is, according to the Office for National Statistics, home to a population that is 9% white, 25% Pakistani, 23% Indian, and 10% Bangladeshi. Community members pointed out that such diversity is a strength, not a weakness. Vinod Parekh, who moved to the area from Fiji 35 years ago, said, “We have people coming into our business from outside of Birmingham, they come from all over the country. We have a lot of people making a business here. What difference does it make what colour of skin they have?”
Former Conservative Mayor of the West Midlands, Andy Street, also challenged Jenrick’s characterization. Speaking to ITV News Central, he said, “I would say [Handsworth] is one of the most integrated places you’ll find. If you walk along the street there, you see people from all sorts of faiths. Whether that be Hindus, Sikhs, Muslims, Christians... and a lot of people of African and Caribbean origin, and of course the white community as well.” Street added he was “surprised” by Jenrick’s remarks and believed they misrepresented the area.
Despite the backlash, Jenrick stood by his statements, emphasizing that he “won’t shy away” from discussing issues of integration. In his speech at the Conservative Party conference, he linked lack of integration to broader societal risks, referencing a recent terrorist attack in Manchester as an example of the consequences of failing to foster shared values. “At the extreme levels, a lack of integration leads us into a very dark place as a country,” he told the BBC.
Party leader Kemi Badenoch defended Jenrick, rejecting accusations of racism. “There’s nothing wrong with making observations,” she said at the conference. “I want people to be living alongside each other, not parallel lives.” Badenoch acknowledged that integration had become harder due to high levels of immigration, admitting, “This is one of the things which I have acknowledged my party got wrong. It was not deliberate.” She maintained, however, that the UK remains a successful multi-racial society, albeit one facing new challenges.
The controversy comes as the Conservative Party grapples with how to position itself on issues of immigration and integration, particularly as it faces pressure from Nigel Farage’s Reform UK. Michael Heseltine, a senior Conservative figure, cautioned against adopting the rhetoric of populist extremism, warning that such language “encourages the worst sort of prejudice.” In a pointed critique of the current leadership, Heseltine insisted, “We must make clear that we will never have any part in the populist extremism of Nigel Farage.”
Jenrick’s remarks also coincided with his attack on the British judiciary, accusing judges of “fighting to keep illegal migrants in this country” and vowing to overhaul the justice system. This hardline stance, coupled with his comments on integration, led some within his own party to question his authenticity and motivations. As one shadow cabinet colleague put it, “If he had been authentic he might have won the leadership contest last year.”
As the dust settles, the debate over Jenrick’s comments has exposed deep divisions—not just between political parties, but within communities and even within the Conservative Party itself. For the people of Handsworth, however, the message is clear: diversity is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be celebrated.
