A shadow Conservative Home Office minister has been branded “deeply irresponsible” after claiming there are “no-go zones” in Luton where “white people won’t go”.
Blake Stephenson, who was appointed to the Tory frontbench role just two weeks ago, claimed the town was “a very dangerous place” where some communities “live in ghettoes”. The MP for Mid Bedfordshire has now been accused of pushing the same “rightwing nonsense” as Tommy Robinson by Sarah Owen, the Labour MP for Luton North.
Labour MP hits out at comments
Hitting out at the comments, Ms Owen said: “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.
“It is simply untrue and the shadow Home Office minister should get off social media and get to know the fantastic Lutonians I’m proud to represent and call my neighbours. I’d also call on the new Lib Dem/Tory/Green coalition-run council in Luton to disown these comments from their colleague.”
Stephenson's remarks at Tory conference
Speaking at a Centre for Policy Studies fringe at Tory party conference in Birmingham, had said: “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.
“But we can move on from it but it requires deep levels of integration and we need to break apart these, erm … this is where it gets icky, but we need to make sure we don’t have ghettoes where there are no-go zones for anybody. The country is for all of us not just certain communities.”
Further claims and response
Elsewhere at the event Mr Stephenson claimed the Equalities Act had led to “white young men” being discriminated against, and later went on to say “mass migration has been an absolute disaster”.
The Conservatives have been approached for comment.
