Georgia Gould MP has accused Conservative shadow home secretary Chris Philp of using a diverse and hardworking London neighbourhood to score political points and spread division.
The Labour MP for Queen’s Park and Maida Vale issued a strongly worded statement following Philp’s visit to the Church Street Estate, where he highlighted that 457 of approximately 600 heads of household were born outside the UK.
Local Labour representatives have pointed out that many of those residents are now British citizens and that being born overseas says nothing about somebody’s contribution to Britain or entitlement to a home.
Gould said any MP genuinely interested in learning about Church Street and meeting its residents would be welcome in the community.
She said:
“If Chris Philp had wanted to meet the proud diverse community in Church Street, full of people who contribute to this country, London and their local area, he would have been very welcome.
“Instead he chose to turn up and make a target of a community he hadn’t made any effort to know or understand to spread a divisive agenda.”
Gould warned that increased far-right activity was now being focused on local people who were simply trying to go about their daily lives.
She said political debate must be conducted responsibly and should never be used to encourage fear or make an entire community feel threatened.
Church Street is known for its historic market, independent businesses, antique shops, artists and strong tradition of neighbourly support.
Gould highlighted the contribution made by residents, including school staff who gave up part of their summer holidays to help local people, volunteers supporting new mothers and those reaching out to isolated older residents.
She also described meeting a resident who came to Britain 35 years ago and subsequently spent three decades working in the NHS.
Gould said:
“The people who know Church Street know that it embodies the best of Britain—a home for culture through its antique shops and artists, a hub of enterprise through its historic market and a place with a big heart where people give back and support their neighbours.
“Many British people have come from around the world and made an enormous contribution to our country.”
Westminster Labour has also challenged the local Conservative leadership to reject Philp’s rhetoric and clarify whether it believes people born outside Britain should be excluded from social housing even when they have become British citizens.
The party’s local representatives argued that Philp had presented residents’ countries of birth as inherently suspicious while ignoring the international character of Westminster, where a substantial proportion of the population was born overseas.
Gould made clear that she remained willing to debate immigration, housing and other difficult policy questions, but said politicians had a responsibility to do so without vilifying communities.
She said:
“I will always listen and happily debate questions of policy. But I will not accept people who choose to do that by whipping up division and fear within our community.
“Such action falls short of the fundamental British values of tolerance and respect, values that the Church Street community I know bring to life every day.”
Her intervention offers a powerful defence of a community whose residents contribute to the NHS, local businesses, schools, voluntary organisations and the wider life of the capital.
It also draws a clear dividing line between Labour’s belief in respectful political debate and attempts to exploit people’s backgrounds for partisan advantage.
Britain can have serious discussions about immigration and access to housing without treating neighbours as statistics or questioning their place in the country simply because they were born elsewhere.
As Gould’s statement makes clear, the values demonstrated every day in Church Street—hard work, service, enterprise and solidarity—represent the very best of modern Britain.
