What difference does it make what colour of skin they have?

HANDSWORTH people say they've heard it all before after Robert Jenrick’s controversial comments about the “lack of white faces”.

- JORDAN COUSSINS News Reporter

The Shadow justice secretary visited the Birmingham suburb, which he shockingly described as “as close as I've come to a slum in this country”.

He further criticised it as “one of the worst integrated places I've ever been to,’ adding: “In the hour-and-half I was filming news there I didn’t see another white face.”

Handsworth residents have responded with anger to Jenrick’s remarks, accusing him of “spouting crap”.

Vinod Parekh, 60, who moved to the city from Fiji 35 years ago and now runs a bespoke jewellery business, 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?”

“When the wedding season starts, which is our busy time, we have all kinds of people coming here.