‘Not the kind of country I want to live in’: British MP draws flak for ‘didn’t see another White face’ remark

British MP and Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick has sparked controversy after describing the Soho Road area in Handsworth, Birmingham—home to many people of Indian and Pakistani origin—as looking “like a slum” and saying it was “not the kind of country I want to live in.”

The comments were first made in March during a Conservative Association dinner, following a 90-minute visit to the neighborhood to film a news segment on litter amid a sanitation workers’ strike, according to the Daily Mail.

Jenrick defended his remarks on The Telegraph’s Daily T podcast on Tuesday, saying some towns and neighborhoods are largely segregated, and people should be able to talk about it without fear of being called racist. He said, “It did look like a slum,” adding, “I didn’t see a mix of people on the streets. It was an observation.”

Earlier, he had said: “I went to Handsworth in Birmingham the other day to do a video on litter and it was absolutely appalling. It’s as close as I’ve come to a slum in this country. But the other thing I noticed there was that it was one of the worst integrated places I’ve ever been to. In fact, in the hour and a half I was filming news there I didn’t see another white face. That’s not the kind of country I want to live in.”

Jenrick also criticised judges for what he sees as “fighting to keep illegal migrants in the UK” and raised concerns about a lack of integration in parts of the country, saying he would not shy away from discussing these issues.

Party leader Kemi Badenoch defended him, saying there was “nothing wrong” with his comments.

However, many local leaders condemned them. Former Tory Michael Heseltine warned that the party’s attacks on migrants are “not the Conservative way to rebuild power” and said divisive language “encourages the worst sort of prejudice.” He added that, instead of following the far-right party Reform UK, the Tories “must make clear that we will never have any part in the populist extremism of Nigel Farage.”

The Bishop of Birmingham, Michael Volland, also criticised Jenrick’s remarks as “entirely wrong” and expressed disappointment. In a letter to the MP, he wrote: “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 UK has recently seen a resurgence of far-right activity, reflected in growing anti-immigration rhetoric, protests, and the electoral rise of parties like Reform UK. Groups such as Patriotic Alternative and the Homeland Party have expanded their presence, while figures like Tommy Robinson have mobilized large rallies, tapping into public anger over immigration, economic strain, and political disillusionment.