Birmingham MP Jess Phillips defends city after 'godawful' remark

Birmingham MP Jess Phillips has defended the city and Blackpool after a government minister said they were "godawful" places.

Heather Wheeler later apologised for the remark she made at a conference in London.

Labour MP Ms Phillips said on Twitter the best thing about Birmingham was people responding to such comments "with a shrug and a joke".

She posted attractive photos of the city tagged "from godawful Birmingham".

The MP for Birmingham Yardley said she loved the city "with all my heart".

"It's not perfect but it's a lovely community where people are comfy with each other and themselves."

She added: "I am not mortally offended, I am used to people thinking this stuff and being wrong and also people make off-the-cuff remarks regrettably all the time, we've all done it. It's the implied snobbery that's the problem."

The MP also said she loved Blackpool, showing her children enjoying their "best life there".

Mrs Wheeler, the Conservative MP for South Derbyshire, made the comment while launching the government's digital strategy, but later said it was an "inappropriate remark that does not reflect my actual view".

Andy Street, the Tory mayor for the West Midlands, told BBC Politics Midlands: "It was a very stupid thing to have said, frankly, and I am sure [Heather Wheeler] regrets it very, very deeply.

"More students are coming here, more Londoners are coming to live here and businesses investing, so the evidence is overwhelmingly to the contrary," he added.

He said the 1.4 million people who had tickets for next month's Commonwealth Games events were "going to see what a great place [Birmingham] is" and he would also invite Mrs Wheeler.

Residents have also been defending the city on social media, with one writing: "We have areas of social deprivation - same as any city. But we're a truly multicultural city that compete with any in the world."

They also posted attractive pictures using a #godawful hashtag. "Brummiephile" and photographer Simon Paul Felton shared his city pictures saying "hopefully more people will visit to agree it's awesome".

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