Mel Stride and Robert Jenrick when they were in cabinet together

Mel Stride has slapped down Robert Jenrick after he complained about not seeing a “white face” during a visit to Birmingham.

The shadow chancellor broke ranks with Tory leader Kemi Badenoch, who had earlier defended Jenrick over the remark.

The controversy has overshadowed the third day of the Conservatives’ conference in Manchester.

In a secret recording obtained by The Guardian, the shadow justice secretary told a Conservative dinner: “I went to Handsworth in Birmingham the other day to do a video on litter and it was absolutely appalling. It’s as close as I’ve come to a slum in this country.

“But the other thing I noticed there was that it was one of the worst integrated places I’ve ever been to. In fact, in the hour and a half I was filming news there I didn’t see another white face.”

Asked about Jenrick’s comments, Badenoch told

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