‘I see white people daily’: What life in community maligned by Jenrick is really like ...Middle East

“I see white people every day. A lot of white people [come in to] my shop. My shop accommodates all different type of people.”

Dave Gordon, owner of Grandad’s Tastee Patties in Handsworth, Birmingham, doesn’t recognise Robert Jenrick’s comments about not seeing “another white face” while visiting the area.

The senior Conservative MP had been urged to apologise after a recording from March obtained by The Guardian showed him saying that the inner-city area “was one of the worst integrated places I’ve ever been to”.

Jenrick doubled down on his comments this week, saying he would not “shy away” from issues of integration, and that the remarks in which he compared the area to a “slum” were an “observation”.

Party leader Kemi Badenoch defended Jenrick, saying that there was “nothing wrong” with her former leadership rival’s remarks.

Jenrick’s comment drew criticism from many, including Mayor of the West Midlands Richard Parker, who said that he was “shocked and truly appalled” by the shadow Justice Secretary’s “really damaging comments”.

“He doesn’t know Handsworth,” said Parker. “If he wanted to know Handsworth, he could have reached out to me, and I could have shown him around.”

A walk down the bustling Soho Road in Handsworth sees shops catering to various cultures’ cuisines and customs, with a Sikh Gurdwara a short walk from several churches.

While Mr Gordon agrees there are fewer white people than other races in the area – something official figures support – he sees and interacts with them regularly.

People classed as white make up 9 per cent of Handsworth, while it is 25 per cent Pakistani, 23 per cent Indian, 10 per cent Bangladeshi, 16 per cent Black African or Black Caribbean and 10 per cent mixed or other ethnic group, according to Birmingham City Council.

square KITTY DONALDSON

Jenrick and Badenoch's marriage of convenience is holding together - for now

But customers at his Caribbean takeaway yesterday said they did not recognise Jenrick’s claims.

Priscilla Brown described the Shadow Lord Chancellor’s comments as “shocking”. “I’m glad he’s not apologising… so at least we know where he’s at. It gives you an insight. If that’s what their thoughts are, how are they really going to look after Birmingham?”

A taxi driver, who came to the UK from Eritrea 11 years ago and frequents the area said there is “some truth” to what Jenrick said but his comments do not reflect the full story.

“If you ask me what do you know about the British culture, I can tell you. But I know there’s so many people who do not know at all,” he said.

Booboo Kounota said “it wasn’t nice to hear” Jenrick’s comments about the area he grew up in, adding people in the area “mix” together.

Celine Johnson, who works in Handsworth, said: “I don’t think it’s right to say we’re not integrated. I don’t think [Jenrick’s] spent enough time here to be able to say whether we’re integrated or not.

“The majority of people will speak English and Punjabi, English and Pakistani, English and Yoruba – but they’re still speaking English,” she added.

“People are still going to the pub up the road. The difference is it’s an Indian pub.”

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