Luton council leader slams shadow justice secretary over ‘inaccurate’ immigration comments
The leader of Luton Council has called the shadow justice secretary’s comments about the town “simply inaccurate” after he claimed that almost 50 per cent of the population only arrived in the UK in the last 10 years.
Robert Jenrick MP made the comments on Sky News as he reacted to the Prime Minister’s immigration reform speech.
In his address, Sir Keir Starmer said without the rules, "we risk becoming an island of strangers, not a nation that walks forward together".
The shadow justice secretary weighed in ,saying: "I think we already are. I think there are certain places in this country where people are not living side by side, where we are a very divided and segregated society.
"If you look at the centre of Bradford, for example, 50 per cent of people were not born in the UK. If you look at the centre of Luton, almost 50 per cent of people only arrived in the UK in the last 10 years. If you look at parts of Dagenham, the white British population has reduced by 50 per cent in the last 25 years."
Councillor Hazel Simmons MBE blasted the MP. She said: “Robert Jenrick’s remarks are simply inaccurate. Over 60 per cent of Luton’s population were born in England (2021 ONS Census data).”
She called the town’s diversity a strength and said that “cohesion and cultural richness are what make Luton such a dynamic and welcoming place to live”.
The leader of the council added: “Luton is a proudly diverse town where people of all backgrounds contribute to our vibrant community. Migration has always been a key part of economic growth and community life in Luton and the contribution to our town of our diverse communities has been and continues to be immense.
"Far from being divided and segregated, our residents come together in celebration, unity, and shared purpose. This cohesion and cultural richness are what make Luton such a dynamic and welcoming place to live.”
Sarh Owen, Luton North MP, weighed in. She said: “I am proud of what immigrants like my mum and those across Luton North have given to our country. Many like her serve in our NHS, open businesses, enrich culture/arts & much more.
“The best way to avoid becoming an ‘island of strangers’ is investing in communities to thrive - not pitting people against each other.
“I’ve said it before and will say it again, chasing the tail of the right risks taking our country down a very dark path.
“Fair and sensible checks on immigration should not equal blaming all the woes of our country on immigrants, rather than the failures of those in power for the last 14 years.”