Overview

• A Guardian recording captured Robert Jenrick describing an inner-city area as one of the worst integrated places he had seen and saying he did not see another white face, likening it to a slum.
• Birmingham Live and local observers say the footage appears to have been shot near Broadway and Witton Road in Aston rather than in Handsworth, prompting questions about accuracy.
• Jenrick has declined to apologise, saying he will not shy away from discussing integration and characterising his comments as an observation.
• Party leader Kemi Badenoch defended Jenrick’s stance, while West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker said he was shocked and truly appalled by the remarks.
• Handsworth residents and shopkeepers described everyday cross-community interactions, with council data showing the ward’s white population is about 9% within a highly diverse mix.