Kemi Badenoch has defended blaming “peasants” from “sub-communities” in overseas international locations for the grooming gangs disaster.
The Conservative chief confronted criticism for her phrases, with Downing Avenue saying it was not language Sir Keir Starmer would use.
However Ms Badenoch doubled down on her phrases, telling Trevor Phillips: “The purpose I used to be making there was a couple of particular report on that group of people who find themselves predominant within the rape gangs.
“They did come from a particular place where they were mostly peasant farmers, they were insular, even from the rest of Pakistan, they’re not like the people in Lahore.
“And that is one of many issues that I am making an attempt to repair. I hear lots of people discuss Asian grooming gangs, about Pakistani grooming gangs, lots of people are being blamed, lots of harmless individuals who occur to share traits are being blamed, so let’s be particular.”
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‘Our nation is just not a resort’
The ethnicity of perpetrators and victims was solely recorded in 29% of circumstances so it’s troublesome to be too conclusive about over and under-representation. However there’s sufficient proof to rule out the concept that it is a drawback distinctive to anyone ethnic group.
Sir Keir and Ms Badenoch have clashed repeatedly over her requires a nationwide inquiry, with the prime minister saying one has already occurred, referencing Professor Alexis Jay’s inquiry that took seven years and was revealed in 2022.
Ms Badenoch additionally instructed Trevor Phillips “evil habits” have been propagated from individuals who have come to the UK from a “particular region and sub-community in Pakistan”.
“The [immigration] numbers we have seen over the last few decades mean that we are getting people having separate and insular communities.
“Probably the most excessive instance of that is what we noticed with the rape gangs the place individuals who’ve been coming to this nation, from the 60s, from a specific area and sub-community in Pakistan, get right here, keep insular, not curious about integration.
“And then you start seeing very very toxic, I would say evil habits propagating and no one doing anything about it because they’re separate.
“We’ve got to ensure that now we have a dominant tradition in our nation, and the individuals who transfer right here need to assist make the UK a greater place.”
“Our nation’s not a resort, it is not a dormitory, that is our residence,” she added.
