A Tory in Handsworth
Complaining about the lack of integration and not seeing enough white faces whilst visiting Handsworth in Birmingham shouldn’t even be on the list of issues for Tory shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick.
What is the point of making statements like these? Working-class people in Handsworth face hardship daily from the lack of local and central government support and investment.
The only thing Jenrick can mention is race and lack of integration? Sounds like dog whistling.
Why not focus on the cost of housing? Rents, council tax and energy bills are ever increasing while our pay stays the same. Divide and conquer seems to be the Tory strategy; nothing else to offer apart from the same old song that has been played out with no results. All to compete with Reform UK’s similar bigotry.
If Jenrick’s concern is integration, why not suggest further investments in social spaces like community centres or youth clubs? That would be something refreshing to hear and welcomed by many. But focusing on working-class issues is beyond him; making sound clips for the internet is easier.
What does he mean by integration? Does he need people eating fish and chips in front of him, or maybe some full English breakfasts would prove to him that people have integrated? It’s no wonder he made these unnecessary comments to get some attention, we all know Tory MPs are completely out of touch with working-class lives.
Refat, Birmingham
Britain’s Trump circus
I wish to echo Dave Murray’s article on Trump’s state visit (see ‘Trump gets a soiree while Starmer sweats’ at socialistparty.org.uk), which showed what a state the British establishment and Trump are in. Dave concluded: “The visit [was] managed so as to minimise public scrutiny and above all protest. Respect and solidarity is due to all who protested Trump’s second visit to the UK as an honoured guest.”
I switched on the BBC news but despite all the genocide, slaughter, indiscriminate bombing and starvation around the world, I was treated to a circus. Unusually for clowns, they were treated to a slap-up dinner. Before that they had Trump ‘inspect’ the troops, all in fancy dress. One commentator said that, including an air force fly past, there were more troops involved on the day than deployed around the world.
All of this was taking place within the grounds of Windsor Castle, and the most glorious act was the golden coach. Donald pleaded for a ride so was driven from one side of Windsor Great Park to the other in it. Reminded me of a child in the fairground, pleading for a ride on the roundabout.
Of course, these charades of the rich and powerful are of more serious import but the fact that they couldn’t parade Trump, not only through London, but even Windsor town shows the impact of the protests. The reports of the courageous student actions by Tom Gibson from Leeds summed it up: “The vast majority do not want our money spent on an expensive sycophantic ceremony, held by a government that refuses to spend money to help working people.”
Keith Dickinson, West London
