‘It’s not racist!’ Moment Carole Malone erupts in livid multiculturalism row | Politics | News | EUROtoday

Carole Malone has erupted in fury at criticism of remarks made by Robert Jenrick a couple of a part of Birmingham the place the highest Tory claimed he “didn’t see another white face”. In an audio recording obtained by the Guardian, Mr Jenrick can be heard complaining: “That’s not the kind of country I want to live in.”

His remarks on integration had been backed by Tory chief Kemi Badenoch and different members of their occasion, however have additionally drawn widespread condemnation, together with from the Tory former mayor of the West Midlands, Andy Street, and the Bishop of Birmingham. Mr Jenrick has defended his feedbacksaying he “won’t shy away” from problems with integration. Malone additionally defended the Tory MP, telling The Daily Expresso podforged: “He made an observation and I don’t think that’s racist to make an observation of what you see.

“I dwell in part of London [where] if I journey two miles to a different space, I would not see one other white face both.”

In an, at times, heated exchange with Express Assistant Editor, JJ Anisiobi, Malone said: “What he is speaking about, usually, is multiculturalism. He’s speaking about the way it hasn’t labored. And it actually hasn’t labored.

“There are whole areas of this country, communities, that are not British communities. We have whole cities in this country that are Muslim cities.”

She pointed to feedback made by East Wiltshire MP, Danny Kruger, who defected from the Tories to Reform UK. He claimed there are complete communities within the UK which have separated themselves from the remainder of the nation, residing an “unBritish life”.

Malone singled out as issues religions which she stated are “contrary” to British beliefs, claiming there have been expectations followers would dwell in “a certain way”, which she stated “conflicts” with the British lifestyle.

The TV presenter stated: “I don’t want to walk around this country and see women covered from head to toe with only their eyes on show, walking four paces behind their husbands.

“Should I be tolerant of that? Well, I’m as a result of I do not do something about it. But do I wish to see that? No, I do not. I do not assist religions that denigrate ladies, that render them second-class residents. We fought lengthy and arduous for equality on this nation.”

She continued: “If you come right here, it’s best to come right here since you like what our tradition is. You should not come right here and say, ‘I hate your tradition. It’s obscene. We wish to eliminate it’.”

Mr Jenrick’s comments drew criticism from Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. Asked about the Conservative frontbencher’s claims as he travelled to Mumbai, Sir Keir told journalists: “It’s fairly arduous to take something that Robert Jenrick says severely, he is clearly nonetheless working his management marketing campaign.”

The Bishop of Birmingham, Right Reverend Michael Volland, said he had been dismayed and disappointed to hear Mr Jenrick’s remarks.

In a letter to Mr Jenrick, co-signed by a number of community leaders, he said: “Comments like these you might have made have the potential to generate anxiousness and fire up division.”

Former Tory mayor, Mr Street, said Mr Jenrick was “incorrect” about Handsworth, while the Labour Party said his comments “cross a purple line”.

Handsworth’s population by ethnicity is 9% white, 25% Pakistani, 23% Indian and 10% Bangladeshi, according to data from the Office for National Statistics.

Asked if he had any regrets about his comments, Mr Jenrick told BBC Radio 5 Live on Tuesday: “No, in no way and I will not shrink back from these points.”

He said he had brought up skin colour “as a result of it is extremely necessary that we’ve a totally built-in society whatever the color of their pores and skin or the religion that they abide by”.

The Shadow Justice Secretary added: “I believe it is a very harmful place if we’ve a rustic the place individuals are residing in ghettoised communities the place individuals are not residing collectively aspect by aspect in harmonious communities… we have seen the injury that that may do in society so it is extremely necessary that we resolve this.”