Robert Jenrick lambasted as 'desperate for attention and 'might defect to Reform UK'

It comes after Robert Jenrick has said the UK is locked in a “fight of a generation” against domestic Islamist extremism, warning that the country is running out of time to stop radicals gaining the upper hand.

In a scathing assessment, the Shadow Justice Secretary said both the Government and police had deliberately turned a blind eye to an escalating danger.

Mr Jenrick claimed years of mass immigration combined with what he called an “abject failure of integration” had created space for Islamists who reject British law and institutions, and who are violent or openly threaten violence, to entrench themselves.

Speaking about the comments on The People's channel, political commentator Matthew Stadlen said: “Well, there are certainly big questions that have been asked, and rightly so, of West Midlands Police around how they handled the Maccabi Tel Aviv vs Aston Villa game in the autumn.

"I await with interest the verdict of the Home Affairs Select Committee, so we’ll see what happens there. Definitely important questions are being asked.

"And if it is decided that West Midlands Police were involved in the banning of fans from Israel not because those fans represented a specific threat that justified their exclusion, but because local groups were threatening those fans and the police.”

Dawn said: “Local groups being?”

Mr Stadlen explained: “Being the people who were against what was happening in Gaza, but violently so. I don’t know who those local groups might have been.”

Dawn pointed out: “I think we can mostly identify them as being Muslims in Birmingham, who did say they were going to protest and did make threats.”

Mr Stadlen said: “Whoever they were, whether they were Muslims or non-Muslims, it is totally unacceptable if they were threatening violence against anyone.

"And if the reason these fans were banned was to protect the fans from local groups, that is obviously totally unacceptable in my view, because the police are there to police without fear or favour and to protect the innocent.

"Now, of course, we know that some of these fans did do some terrible stuff in Amsterdam, and they were also the victims of terrible stuff.”

Dawn said: “There wasn’t a single Maccabi Tel Aviv fan arrested in Amsterdam.”

Mr Stadlen: “I saw some footage of Maccabi Tel Aviv fans behaving badly. What I am concerned about here, the overall story, is what Robert Jenrick is up to.

"My view, and if he were here he could give a very different view, I’m sure, is that he’s desperate for attention, he’s desperate for a wedge issue, and he was very disappointed not to win the Tory leadership.

"I wouldn’t be that surprised if he ends up defecting to Reform UK, unless he thinks that he can win over the Tory leadership again and have another bite at it.

"But the idea that we’re in a battle for the soul of the country, we have roughly four million Muslims in the UK, around six to seven per cent of the population.

"Some of those, a small minority, represent undoubtedly a threat to us. Absolutely. And let’s deal with that. But let’s not tar all Muslims with that brush.

"And I’m not saying he is here, but let’s not tar all Muslims with that brush.”

Mr Jenrick has publicly denied any intention of defecting, and there is no suggestion he has been approached by, or is engaged in, any discussions with Reform UK.