A Tory minister has sparked backlash after branding areas of Luton as “no-go zones” where “white people won’t go,” reports BritPanorama.
During remarks made at a fringe event at the Conservative Party conference, Shadow Home Office Minister Blake Stephenson referred to some areas of Luton as “ghettos,” urging that parts of the UK should be “for all of us not just certain communities.”
The comments drew criticism from Labour MP for Luton North, Sarah Owen, who labeled them “deeply irresponsible.” She accused Mr. Stephenson of echoing “the same rightwing nonsense” as far-right activist Tommy Robinson and the Reform UK party.
Speaking at a Centre for Policy Studies meeting in Birmingham, Mr. Stephenson noted his proximity to Luton, saying, “I know Luton reasonably well because I live 10, 15 minutes away and represent Mid Bedfordshire; I live in a village just over the border.”
“I think the town is a shadow of its former self. There are parts of that town – and unfortunately the police will tell you this – it can be a very dangerous place. There are parts where white people won’t go. They are like no-go zones. It is not alone; there are other towns across the country in a similar situation. It is dreadful where we have got to,” he added.
The comments seem to reflect sentiments previously articulated by Mr. Robinson, who has claimed that Luton is divided and has identified specific areas as supposed ‘no-go zones’ for white people.
At the same event, entitled “From Boriswave to Brain Drain: How Can We Fix Migration?”, Mr. Stephenson further emphasized, “We can move on from it but it requires deep levels of integration and we need to break apart these…this is where it gets icky, but we need to make sure we don’t have ghettos where there are no-go zones for anybody. The country is for all of us, not just certain communities.”
In response to these remarks, Sarah Owen charged that it is “deeply irresponsible for any politician, let alone a senior Conservative, to peddle the same rightwing nonsense about Luton that we see from the likes of Yaxley-Lennon and Reform,” she told the Guardian.
She emphasized that Mr. Stephenson should engage with the constituents he represents instead of utilizing social media. “I’d also call on the new Lib Dem/Tory/Green coalition-run council in Luton to disown these comments from their colleague,” Owen stated.
The unfolding political discourse illustrates the growing tensions surrounding community integration in the UK, particularly in regions with diverse demographics. The debate raises questions about social cohesion and the responsibilities of public figures in framing discourses around community identity.
